The concept of 'person' ascribes a special dignity that t... — Carmelics

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The concept of 'person' ascribes a special dignity that the concept of 'individual' does not.

Personal Identity

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1 reason for

2 reasons against

Reasons For

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Reason for

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1.'Individual' refers to a member of a species — one countable unit among others of the same kind.
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2.'Person' emphasizes the uniqueness, incomparability, and irreplaceability of that individual.
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3.A special dignity attaches to uniqueness and irreplaceability that does not attach to mere membership in a kind.
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Reasons Against

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Reason against 1 of 2

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1.Buddhist and Humean traditions hold that no enduring self underlies the stream of experience, making 'person' a convenient fiction rather than a dignity-bearing substance.
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2.If 'person' refers to a constructed narrative rather than a metaphysically distinct entity, the dignity ascribed to it is grounded in social utility, not in the concept itself.
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3.Whatever dignity follows from social utility attaches equally to 'individual', since both concepts serve to demarcate morally considerable beings within a community.
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Reason against 2 of 2

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