{"id":5688,"date":"2024-10-22T10:18:35","date_gmt":"2024-10-22T14:18:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/?p=5688"},"modified":"2024-10-29T11:09:51","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T15:09:51","slug":"denying-personhood-to-human-beings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/index.php\/2024\/10\/22\/denying-personhood-to-human-beings\/","title":{"rendered":"Denying Personhood to Human Beings"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">by Fr. Jim Hewes<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Historical Examples of Dehumanization<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The denial of personhood isn\u2019t a new concept. Throughout history, certain groups of people have been denied their humanity to justify their exploitation, oppression, or even extermination.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most infamous examples is the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dred Scott<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> decision. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled black slaves weren\u2019t considered citizens or \u201cpersons\u201d under the law. This decision allowed for slavery and dehumanization of African Americans.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The same type of thinking has justified genocides throughout history. In the Holocaust, Jews, along with other marginalized groups, were dehumanized and labeled as &#8220;non-persons.&#8221; By stripping them of their humanity, the Nazi regime was able to justify their extermination.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The same logic applied to the Rwandan genocide. The Hutu majority dehumanized the Tutsi minority to justify mass slaughter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In each of these cases, those in power determined certain human beings weren\u2019t worthy of the rights and protections afforded to persons. This dehumanization allowed for their mistreatment, oppression, and, in some cases, their complete annihilation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The same logic is applied in the abortion debate. By declaring the preborn aren\u2019t persons, society allows for their destruction. Just as in historical examples of dehumanization, the preborn are denied their humanity based on arbitrary criteria set by those in power.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>What Defines a Person?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One central controversy in the abortion debate is whether the preborn child is a person. This question isn&#8217;t just philosophical or theological\u2014it has profound legal and moral implications. If the preborn are considered persons, they are entitled to rights and protection under the law, including the most fundamental right: the right to life. However, if they aren\u2019t considered persons, these protections may not apply, allowing for their destruction through abortion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Personhood has been debated for centuries, with various definitions proposed by philosophers, theologians, and legal scholars, based on such traits as: <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">consciousness,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sentience,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">self-awareness,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">rationality and feeling (balance also),<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">self-determination,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ability to choose,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">minimal intelligence\/certain level of IQ,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reasoning,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">has interests or desires or purpose or sense of the past (memory),<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">self-motivated activity,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">communication,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ability to change,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">connection to society and to relate others and concern for others,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">self-control,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sense of time,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">curiosity,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to envision a future,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to use language,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">recognize continuity of time,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to solve problems,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">idiosyncrasy,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">electrical activity which will develop into the heart or the brain,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">certain point of development within the womb,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">when a soul enters,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">when one feels pain,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">when viable outside the mother\u2019s body,<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These criteria measure up to certain standards of perfection or usefulness, and what follows is whether they are valued with rights when they have attained such traits.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> decides which definition or standard is used, and at what point the human individual originates?<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Philosophers like Mary Ann Warren, Michael Tooley, and Peter Singer argue personhood requires certain cognitive functions. Without traits like these, a human being cannot be considered a person. They don\u2019t qualify as persons. Therefore, they don\u2019t have the same rights as those who have been born.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/1blog-Roe-development.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1030\" src=\"http:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/1blog-Roe-development.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"624\" height=\"482\" srcset=\"https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/1blog-Roe-development.jpg 624w, https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/1blog-Roe-development-300x232.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This functionalist view of personhood is deeply problematic. If personhood is determined by cognitive ability, then what happens to individuals who lose these abilities due to injury, an accident, illness, or age? For example, a person in a coma or suffering from advanced Alzheimer&#8217;s disease may no longer meet these criteria for personhood, but we don\u2019t deny their humanity or their right to life. Similarly, a newborn infant doesn\u2019t have the self-awareness or rational thought that some philosophers require for personhood. This thinking, taken to its end, can be used to justify infanticide as well as abortion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These perspectives open the door to dehumanizing vulnerable individuals who cannot meet their arbitrary standards of cognitive ability. These views are determined by adults who are deciding from an adult perspective. Those who have power decide who is a person or who isn\u2019t, rather than the pre-born child\u2019s perspective of powerlessness.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Such thinking allows society to determine who is worthy of protection based on v<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ague, arbitrary,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> subjective<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, speculative, self-serving<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> criteria. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How many criteria or traits are necessary? How do you measure them?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Inherent vs. Achieved Personhood<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the heart of the abortion debate is the question of whether personhood is something inherent or something that must be earned through development. Pro-abortion advocates often argue personhood is something achieved when certain cognitive or physical milestones are met, as if one can gain or lose personhood at different situations in one\u2019s life, depending on what one can do rather who one is, with an inherent legacy, whether that is recognized or not.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This view implies also that personhood can be lost if these abilities are lost. It creates a dangerous precedent where certain human beings are considered more valuable or worthy of protection than others. This achievement-based view of personhood is, in essence, a form of elitism. Pre-born children become \u201coutcasts\u201d or inferior humans &#8211; not persons. It suggests some human beings are more important than others based on their abilities, achievements, or the stage of their development.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/1-blog-disabilities.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1864\" src=\"http:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/1-blog-disabilities.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"577\" height=\"366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/1-blog-disabilities.jpg 577w, https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/1-blog-disabilities-300x190.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 577px) 100vw, 577px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In contrast is the view that personhood is inherent in every human being, regardless of stage of development or abilities. From the moment of conception, a unique human life begins with its own DNA, distinct from both the mother and father. This human life will grow and develop according to her or his own nature, moving through the various stages of development from embryo to fetus to infant and beyond. At no point does this being ceased to be human, nor does he or she become something else.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the mother wants the child, then the life in the womb is a person, but if the child isn\u2019t wanted by the mother, then there\u2019s no person within the womb. Perhaps later the same child within the womb becomes wanted, and thus becomes a person again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being a person doesn\u2019t depend on if he or she is significant to others or not. It\u2019s a continuous process of growth, not a transition from non-personhood to personhood. The inability to fulfill their nature at one moment doesn\u2019t negate or destroy the nature itself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other words, personhood isn\u2019t a matter of something or someone being \u201cmore of,\u201d or \u201cless of.\u201d It\u2019s not . something \u201cyou have or don\u2019t have,\u201d or something \u201ctoo broad or too narrow.\u201d Personhood in fact is an <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">intrinsic<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reality of a human being (both actual and potential).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Why Personhood Matters in the Abortion Debate<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The question of personhood isn\u2019t just a theoretical issue. It has real-world implications, particularly in the context of the abortion debate. In the landmark case of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roe v. Wade<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the U.S. Supreme Court famously sidestepped the question of when life begins, stating the judiciary wasn\u2019t in a position to resolve this issue. However, the Court noted that if the preborn were recognized as persons, the case for abortion would collapse. The right to life of the preborn would be protected by the Constitution.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This highlights the central importance of personhood in the abortion debate. If the preborn are considered persons, they\u2019re entitled to the same legal protections as anyone else, including the right to life. Denying their personhood allows for their destruction through abortion, but recognizing their personhood would extend to them the rights and protections afforded to all human beings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From a legal perspective, the burden of proof should lie on those who argue the preborn are not persons. In any case of doubt, it would be prudent that the benefit of doubt should be given to the preborn, just as it would be in any other case involving human rights. Just as we wouldn\u2019t take the life of a person in a coma or a newborn infant simply because they cannot currently exercise certain functions, we shouldn\u2019t take the life of preborn children because they haven\u2019t yet reached a certain stage of development.(for in-depth legal writings see Robert P. George, Joshua Craddock, and John Finnis or view (<a href=\"https:\/\/rallyforpersonhood.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rallyforpersonhood.com<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The debate over personhood is central to the abortion controversy. Denying the personhood of the preborn is a dangerous and dehumanizing philosophy. It has been used throughout history to justify mistreatment and destruction of vulnerable groups.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recognizing the personhood of the preborn is a matter of justice. Every human being, regardless of their stage of development or abilities, deserves the right to life and the protection of the law. In a society that values human rights, the most vulnerable among us\u2014the preborn\u2014should be no exception. This sentiment is clearly summarized by Dr Seuss which simply states: (\u201cHorton Hears a Who\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because after all,<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a person\u2019s a person<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0no matter how small.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">============================================<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3051\" style=\"width: 160px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2-blog-Hewes-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3051\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-3051\" src=\"http:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2-blog-Hewes-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3051\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fr. Jim Hewes<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more of our posts from Fr. Jim Hewes, see:&#8217;<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/index.php\/2020\/10\/13\/killing-the-destructive-effect\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Death Penalty and other Killing: The Destructive Effect on Us<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/index.php\/2022\/11\/08\/just-war\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A Personal Reflection on a Just War<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/index.php\/2020\/12\/01\/being-across-the-board\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Consistent Life History: Being Across the Board<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/index.php\/2021\/02\/23\/decades-of-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reflections from My Decades of Consistent Life Experience<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/index.php\/2021\/07\/27\/my-christian-perspective\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Consistent Life Ethic: My Christian Perspective<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/index.php\/2021\/10\/12\/connecting-the-dots\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Abortion and Other Issues of Life: Connecting the Dots<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<form action=\"https:\/\/oi.vresp.com?fid=1c608dcc6e\" method=\"post\" target=\"vr_optin_popup\">\n<div style=\"font-family: verdana; font-size: 11px; width: 160px; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #405095; background: #dddddd;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #405095;\">Get our SHORT Biweekly e-Newsletter<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><label style=\"color: #405095;\">Email Address:<\/label><br \/>\n<input style=\"margin-top: 5px; border: 1px solid #999; padding: 3px;\" name=\"email_address\" size=\"15\" type=\"text\" \/><br \/>\n<input style=\"margin-top: 5px; border: 1px solid #999; padding: 3px;\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Get Newsletter\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #405095;\">Email &amp; Social Media Marketing by <a title=\"Email &amp; Social Media Marketing by VerticalResponse\" href=\"http:\/\/www.verticalresponse.com\" rel=\"nofollow\">VerticalResponse<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/form>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Fr. Jim Hewes Historical Examples of Dehumanization The denial of personhood isn\u2019t a new concept. Throughout history, certain groups of people have been denied their humanity to justify their exploitation, oppression, or even extermination. \u00a0One of the most infamous examples is the Dred Scott decision. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled black slaves weren\u2019t considered&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/index.php\/2024\/10\/22\/denying-personhood-to-human-beings\/\"><\/p>\n<p><button class=\"btn btn-smaller btn-outline in_cat\">Read More<\/button><\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[260],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-personhood"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5688"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5688\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5714,"href":"https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5688\/revisions\/5714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}