Are animals people?

[chickenmammalove]

A noun is a person, place, or thing. Humans are people. Tables are things. What about animals? They seem much more like humans than tables. When I think about it, it feels wrong to refer to them as things. But is it correct to refer to them as people? If so, would all animals be people? What about insects or bivalves?

Plenty of mammals, birds, and fish have intelligence, feelings, personality, thought proceses...does this make them people? If personhood only applies to humans, what should we call other animals? If we can refer to our dogs as our babies (even though they are clearly not our offspring), then why not refer to a dog as a person?

 

[beancounter]

Animals are not people, but people are animals.

 

[silva]

Personhood is more a designation of standing, and has not always included all humans. There are certain animals in certain countries that have been considered persons.

word choice - Humans or people? - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

english.stackexchange.com

 

[silva]

Animals are not people, but people are animals.

I think that's more animals are not humans, but humans are animals?

 

[beancounter]

I think that's more animals are not humans, but humans are animals?

Yes I was using people synonymously with human.

 

[Lou]

I have know a few dogs who are convinced that they are people.

 

[Sax]

Animals are non-human persons. I would be fine with calling them people.

Legally speaking, corporations are people. Ships, colleges, municipalities, and nation-states may all have personhood recognized by courts. Gary Francione has a book on the topic (Animals, Property and the Law). Worth a read if the legal aspect interests you.

 

[anarchist100]

A noun is a person, place, or thing. Humans are people. Tables are things. What about animals? They seem much more like humans than tables. When I think about it, it feels wrong to refer to them as things. But is it correct to refer to them as people? If so, would all animals be people? What about insects or bivalves?

Plenty of mammals, birds, and fish have intelligence, feelings, personality, thought proceses...does this make them people? If personhood only applies to humans, what should we call other animals? If we can refer to our dogs as our babies (even though they are clearly not our offspring), then why not refer to a dog as a person?

Yes of course, speaking from an evolutionist perspective there is no logic to back up the idea that humans are people and animals are not.

 

[Danielle]

They aren't human, but they want to live as much as we do.

 

[KLS52]

Right or wrong, a person is defined as a “human” so I would not call an animal a person. However, I do assign pronouns such as him/her rather than “it” as I use “it” for inanimate objects.
I have not thought this completely through so this is all you’re getting until I’m out of bed and I’ve had some coffee. ️

 

[Lou]

They aren't human, but they want to live as much as we do.

Dogs aren't human, but...
a. they want to be
b. they think they are
c. they want to be just like us.
d. we think they are.

 

[Deleted member 3018]

People:
The members of the same nation, community or ethnic group.
Nation:
a large body of people united by common descent, history, culture or language, inhabiting a particular country or territory.
Person:
An individual.

I think that it's clear that they can be called people and person. I might be wrong, but only some primates have what could be referred to as culture (especially chimpanzees, gorillas and bonobos), but all animals have body language and all of them are individuals.

 

[KLS52]

I think it comes down to definition.
If I look up “individual”, there are several options, one being that of “a single person”, which leads you back to the definition of “person”, for which again there are several definitions.
I don’t think we will get everyone on board with calling animals persons. Personally, I have no preference and I’m fine either way. I would not find it odd if someone referenced an animal as a person.
This thread reminds me of this video. I’ve watched it a few times.
Animals Are Beautiful People

 

[Mowgly]

i think some animals have various levels of intelligence they can combine things for example. some animals have specific adaptive capacity perhaps those are less people compared to those who can combine things. humans can combine things so they can be called people.
elephants can combine things (they paint artisticly somehow out of memory) they maybe called people in my opinion

 

[Ltorres]

People is a name that humans identify themself but another concept that is for all animals (human and non-human) is person.
Here more information about: Non-human persons | Abolition, not regulation