Toward a general theory of persons

Area of Science:

• Philosophy of Mind
• Metaphysics
• Bioethics
• Philosophy of Religion

Background:

• The definition of personhood remains a complex philosophical challenge.
• Cartesian dualism has historically influenced Western thought on the mind-body problem.
• Biomedical ethics frequently grapples with the moral status of entities like embryos and comatose individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a framework for understanding what constitutes a person.
• To propose an alternative to Cartesian dualism, specifically a hylomorphic model for Christians and others.
• To elucidate how the nature of human persons informs ethical considerations in biomedical contexts.

Main Methods:

• Distinguishing between the powers and constitutions of persons.
• Proposing metaphysical conjectures on the relationship between personal powers and constitutions.
• Presenting a hylomorphic soul-body theory as an alternative to Cartesian dualism.
• Analyzing differences in the nature of human persons relevant to bioethical issues.

Main Results:

• A conceptual distinction is drawn between personal powers and constitutions.
• A hylomorphic soul-body framework is proposed as a metaphysical alternative.
• Key differences in the nature of human persons are identified.
• These distinctions are shown to be relevant to the ontological and moral status of embryos and the comatose.

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework offers a new perspective on personhood.
• The hylomorphic alternative provides a non-dualistic approach to the soul-body problem.
• Understanding the nature of persons is crucial for resolving bioethical dilemmas concerning vulnerable human life.