What is a Person?

Two days of great discussions has now passed, and your first assignment will be handed out on Monday. Your ideas have been WONDERFUL to listen to.

The class started with the question "At what point (exactly, with specifics) does a human become a person entitled to all protections under the law?" You had excellent ideas and your criteria of personhood included:
1. A living, intelligent being, that is aware of it's existence in relation to other living things/beings.
2. The ability to know you are alive/conscious.
3. The ability to communicate because of reactions (hunger, need for medications etc).
4. The ability to have emotions.
5. The instinctual or intelligent need for companionship.
6. A heartbeat.
7. The ability to problem solve.
8. The ability to think and use senses.
9. Self-awareness, emotion and instinct.

I have truly enjoyed these days of discussion, and I look forward to seeing you apply these ideas with the upcoming project.
Enjoy the weekend ... Good luck, Amy, with Miss Acton!!!