When do we start as persons

Sadaf Ghaffari Zaki

University of Tartu

The distinction between the concepts of “”what we are”” and “”who we are”” has profound philosophical implications for understanding identity and personhood. This paper examines the emergence of personhood as a phase within the human organism’s developmental trajectory, challenging the psychological continuity account of personal identity by aligning with the animalist view that we are fundamentally human organisms. Drawing on the criteria for personhood proposed by Daniel Dennett and Joseph Fletcher, this study investigates when a human being can rightfully be considered a person, arguing that personhood emerges sometime after birth and develops along a spectrum.

The analysis begins by juxtaposing Dennett’s six criteria for personhood—rationality, self-consciousness, intentionality, verbal communication, reciprocity, and being treated as a person—with the developmental psychology of infants. It demonstrates that key aspects such as rational thought, verbal communication, and self-consciousness typically manifest between 18 months and five years of age, suggesting that infants cannot meet the full criteria of personhood immediately after birth. Complementing this, Fletcher’s emphasis on the role of neocortical function underscores the biological underpinnings of personhood, linking it to capacities such as introspection, self-awareness, and advanced cognitive abilities that emerge as the brain matures.

The paper further distinguishes between biological life and personhood, noting that while infants and those in permanent vegetative states lack personhood, they retain moral status as living beings. This distinction has ethical ramifications for debates on moral agency and rights, as personhood is proposed as a sufficient condition for moral duties but not necessary for moral status. Ultimately, this work asserts that personhood is a unique, emergent phase contingent on the integration of cognitive, social, and biological criteria, and it provides a nuanced framework for understanding the interplay between identity, consciousness, and moral considerations.

Chair: Satbhav Voleti

Time: 03 September, 14:00-14:30

Location: HS E.002