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#:''By common law a [[corporation]] or a [[trust]] is legally a '''person'''.''

#:''By common law a [[corporation]] or a [[trust]] is legally a '''person'''.''

# A [[linguistic]] category used to [[distinguish]] between the [[speaker]] of an [[utterance]] and those to whom or about whom he is [[speaking]]. See [[grammatical person]].

# A [[linguistic]] category used to [[distinguish]] between the [[speaker]] of an [[utterance]] and those to whom or about whom he is [[speaking]]. See [[grammatical person]].

The classical definition of a '''person''' is "a human being regarded as an individual." [http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/person?view=uk Person], from the ''Compact Oxford English Dictionary''. In modern usage, the term "person" is subject to dispute and re-interpretation based on alternate definitions. This is especially so for uses that are not necessarily synonymous with the classical definition of [[human]] or [[human being]].

The classical definition of a '''person''' is "a human being regarded as an individual." [https://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/person?view=uk Person], from the ''Compact Oxford English Dictionary''. In modern usage, the term "person" is subject to dispute and re-interpretation based on alternate definitions. This is especially so for uses that are not necessarily synonymous with the classical definition of [[human]] or [[human being]].

For example, in many jurisdictions a [[corporation]] may be treated as a "person"  under the [[law]]. In the fields of [[philosophy]], [[theology]], and [[bioethics]], the definition of a person may exclude biological human entities (such as human embryos, or deformed human fetuses that lack major portions of the brain, or adult humans lacking higher brain functions).  

For example, in many jurisdictions a [[corporation]] may be treated as a "person"  under the [[law]]. In the fields of [[philosophy]], [[theology]], and [[bioethics]], the definition of a person may exclude biological human entities (such as human embryos, or deformed human fetuses that lack major portions of the brain, or adult humans lacking higher brain functions).  

The Roe v. Wade decision took the position that the unborn were simply not considered, while the decision also opens up a new unconsidered third category: living human beings who - by virtue of not having been born yet - do not qualify as persons.  In effect, the USA currently operates with three categories; the broadest is living human beings in general (not necessarily legal "persons", and not mentioned in the 14th Amendment), then comes the subset of those living humans who have been born in any place ("persons" as mentioned in the 14th Amendment), and finally the smaller subset of those who are American citizens (those "persons" who have been born or naturalized in the U.S.A.).

The Roe v. Wade decision took the position that the unborn were simply not considered, while the decision also opens up a new unconsidered third category: living human beings who - by virtue of not having been born yet - do not qualify as persons.  In effect, the USA currently operates with three categories; the broadest is living human beings in general (not necessarily legal "persons", and not mentioned in the 14th Amendment), then comes the subset of those living humans who have been born in any place ("persons" as mentioned in the 14th Amendment), and finally the smaller subset of those who are American citizens (those "persons" who have been born or naturalized in the U.S.A.).

In Judge Rehnquist's dissent to Roe v. Wade [http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?navby=CASE&court=US&vol=410&page=113] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roe_vs._Wade#_note-Roe] he mentions that there were 36 state laws to limit abortion in effect when the 14th Amendment was ratified, none of which were called into question by the 14th Amendment prior to Roe v. Wade.

In Judge Rehnquist's dissent to Roe v. Wade [https://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?navby=CASE&court=US&vol=410&page=113] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roe_vs._Wade#_note-Roe] he mentions that there were 36 state laws to limit abortion in effect when the 14th Amendment was ratified, none of which were called into question by the 14th Amendment prior to Roe v. Wade.

==Scope of personhood==

==Scope of personhood==

==Implications of the person, non-person debate==

==Implications of the person, non-person debate==

The personhood theory has become a pivotal issue in the interdisciplinary field of [[bioethics]]. While historically most humans did not enjoy full legal protection as "persons" (women, children, non-landowners, minorities, slaves, etc.), from the late 18th through the late 20th century being born as a member of the human species gradually became secular grounds for an appeal for basic rights of liberty, freedom from persecution, and humanitarian care.

The personhood theory has become a pivotal issue in the interdisciplinary field of [[bioethics]]. While historically most humans did not enjoy full legal protection as "persons" (women, children, non-landowners, minorities, slaves, etc.), from the late 18th through the late 20th century being born as a member of the human species gradually became secular grounds for an appeal for basic rights of liberty, freedom from persecution, and humanitarian care.

==References==

==References==

*''[http://plato.stanford.edu/ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]''

*''[https://plato.stanford.edu/ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]''

*''[http://www.iep.utm.edu/ The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy]''

*''[https://www.iep.utm.edu/ The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy]''

==External links==

==External links==

*[http://bioliberty.inno.bme.hu/proposal-en.html Bioliberty: Proposal for the Declaration of Intelligent Beings' Rights]

*[https://bioliberty.inno.bme.hu/proposal-en.html Bioliberty: Proposal for the Declaration of Intelligent Beings' Rights]

[[Category: General Reference]]

[[Category: General Reference]]