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Post by Alter on Mar 6, 2009 15:23:42 GMT
Something from my Culture and Society course from last semester, so I know a bunch of dope readins if anyone's interested. It's a simple question really, "What is a person?" And before you answer, lemme ask you to consider a few extra points: What’s the difference between a human and a person? When can an animal be a person? When is a person not a person? What’s in a name? Think for a min, cause it's pretty interesting and if anyone's interested, i suggest you search for Myer Fortes study on the Tallensi in North Ghana. It's one of the first readings i got for my course, and isn't THAT long for an Anth reading (about 18 pages... it's shorter than it seems). It basically talks about how the Tallensi's system of ancestor worship makes the crocodiles that live in their sacred pond considered as "people" and killing them is the same as murdering anyone else in the village. Yet killing of the "wild" crocodiles isn't. It's pretty interesting. EDIT: Can't findd the Tallensi reading for free, so instead I'll link you to this, as you may find it useful: Link |
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Post by Alter on Mar 6, 2009 15:31:05 GMT
(Geertz 1984: 126) Geertz, C, (1984) ‘“From the native’s point of view”: on the nature of anthropological understanding’, in R. A. Schweder and E. A. LeVine (eds) Culture Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pretty useful quote I was given.
Also, not sure if you can access this, as I know I get some priveledges being that I'm on my university's internet server but this is another good thing to read, MUCH shorter too:McHugh - Concept of the person amongst the Gurungs of Nepal |
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Post by Churchill on Mar 6, 2009 15:43:22 GMT
Well as I was saying Rase, to answer this question 'adjusts monicle' The correct definition of a person is this: Person - The term person in common usage means an individual human being. Here is the difference Person = individual human. Human = a type of organism. An animal I'm afraid can never be a person as a person falls under the category of a human. Humans have a persona, an individual awareness, animals do not. They only have a group awareness. Therefore cannot be or become a person.
A person is always a person and will always have that capacity no matter how vulgar or low they stoop.
The name of a person can mean things, it is important to name someone correctly according to characterisics and background. Really its just a label people need for social reasons, to differ one personality to the next.
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Post by Alter on Mar 6, 2009 15:52:52 GMT
common usage, so it's not set in stone. As a rebuttal, would you consider God a person? So if you only have one pet, and its at home, it has no awareness? Why name pets, animals? What if i name a rock? or a computer character? a film character? a building? a place? also: Read this and tell me inanimate objects cannot be people
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Post by Churchill on Mar 6, 2009 17:03:14 GMT
Common usage meaning there are other uses apart from its most used meaning. Example, you can use person in a legal sense: In law, in many jurisdictions, for example, a corporation is considered a legal person with standing to sue or be sued in court. God, is not a person, god is all, it is singularity, it has no personality as it is beyond material things therefore has no identity. We give it a name so we can refer to it on a material plain in order to converse with others about its existence. It has many names I prefer Creation, or just pure energy. No, the cat has no self awareness just awareness of its surroundings. Its outer parts if you will. Perhaps this link will explain it visually. The dog is not aware of the fact its HIS foot thats why its attacking it. The reflex of wanting to scratch and eating has conflicted but if had the awareness of self it would realise the encroaching foot is his own. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw1Sg6Fz1MIWe name pets and other things for the personalization. We name pets just to make it more family like, seem more human and part of the group. Its a human emotion that triggers naming something. Also, its practical in some cases when you wish to summon or command the animal to do something. However its not needed you could just call it dog, as I say its just for personalization. This doesn't mean the pet or the object is a person however the name is from our image, our creation so as to relate better to something. The woman is clearly deluded I wouldn't take that seriously. The only person who should take that seriously is the person trying to diagnoze her clearly damaged thinking. |
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Post by SOL DA SUPA NOVA on Mar 6, 2009 18:33:41 GMT
INTERESTING... this is what i think a person is... a person, is a human being, with traits, characteristics, personality, and its own thoughts. the difference between a person and an animal is that people have souls inmeshed with spirits. animals only have souls, they have not reached there course of evolution far enough to have spirits as well. if they had spirits than that would mean that they can not only talk to themselves but they can also talk to us "intellegently" cuz the spirit is wisdom..
the different cultures that worship animals are basically a result of false idolatry.. false ideas, brought by false doctrines and religious teachings that veered the worship of God to animals in which they believe have Godly characteristics.. These false teachings were basically made for that very reason, to keep people locked in a religious shadow of bullshit...
and back to the person talk. a person is physical, it is tangible, if u cut the person, it bleeds, but what makes the person is the Soul and spirit.. without that a person would literally be brain dead and have the most difficult time to even learn its name. names are a form of categorization also brought by the pridacament of mankind's ignorance... such as the misconseptions of time, and various labels that eveything has... overpopulation has made these names, and labels neccessary... a person is nothing but a mere shell, gears in which the engine/soul spirit uses to make itself run.
just write what prince ea says from the last part to were he started going backwards, and he lets you know himself..
4:49
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Post by «Kü®bẕẕ» on Mar 6, 2009 18:36:16 GMT
Im a person.
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Post by SP on Mar 6, 2009 20:51:32 GMT
LOL ^
Yo.. I aint read all'a that. But.. A person is when a fetus takes it's first breath of air from the mother's womb. That's why abortions are okay in my eyes. Haaaa
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Post by CJM on Mar 6, 2009 21:17:47 GMT
Your name is your identity.
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Post by wolfman on Mar 7, 2009 0:00:01 GMT
Hmm...cool thread...
To me a person is a living organism...I believe you are a person as soon as the egg is made... i would classify other living things as people such as animals and stuff but it would be a different branch of a person... a human is a person that shows humane characteristics... like the expression "you are not human" applies to people that enjoy the torture of others as an example... as for not beiung a person for my deffinition of a person to stand it would be when the living organisim is no longer living haha...and a name doesnt give you your identiy...the way you go through life does that...hmm that is a tough question what is a name...I'll get back to you
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Post by SP on Mar 7, 2009 0:05:13 GMT
It's really a difference between mammals other life forms... And in mammals.. It's what U gotta pick out. Basically.. Obviously the physical aspect.. And the thinking aspect. And communication aspect.. But ye ye ye.. what about vegetables? Well.. I guess I wouldn't classify vegetables and humans cuz they can't really do that stuff.. I would classify them as vegetables  |
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<^`Boyle`^>
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Post by <^`Boyle`^> on Mar 7, 2009 12:35:05 GMT
What’s the difference between a human and a person?
A person is an empty shell of a human say somebody who is dead or is brain dead. Though you may say Human has feelings, family and can think progressivly, but you COULD THEN say Humans can be arseholes, which they can I think what defines a human-being is his persona of acting, breathing, eating and his abillity to think and communicate, nothing like any other creature on this planet.
When can an animal be a person?
An animal can never be a person though you could call a human being/person an animal when they cannot rationalise the situation or thinking of things I feel people become animals if they are serial killers or not mentaly stable.
When is a person not a person?
I feel I have already specified this but if you don't feel I have could you tell me so I could think about this more.
What’s in a name?
ERRRR, I don't quite understand this, but i'll try:
A name is a person's Identity no matter faith, ethinicity or culture 'HUMANS' right to have a name although you may disagree as some potential human beings have no name they just have an identity as being unfortunate.
I feel as time progresses identities will either become less defined or greater margins between differences will cause much conflict becauseas everybody knows War solves everything.
Now Thats Human.
If you feel I haven't explained something correctly tell me.
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Post by Churchill on Mar 11, 2009 11:21:22 GMT
INTERESTING... this is what i think a person is... a person, is a human being, with traits, characteristics, personality, and its own thoughts. the difference between a person and an animal is that people have souls inmeshed with spirits. animals only have souls, they have not reached there course of evolution far enough to have spirits as well. if they had spirits than that would mean that they can not only talk to themselves but they can also talk to us "intellegently" cuz the spirit is wisdom.. the different cultures that worship animals are basically a result of false idolatry.. false ideas, brought by false doctrines and religious teachings that veered the worship of God to animals in which they believe have Godly characteristics.. These false teachings were basically made for that very reason, to keep people locked in a religious shadow of bullshit... and back to the person talk. a person is physical, it is tangible, if u cut the person, it bleeds, but what makes the person is the Soul and spirit.. without that a person would literally be brain dead and have the most difficult time to even learn its name. names are a form of categorization also brought by the pridacament of mankind's ignorance... such as the misconseptions of time, and various labels that eveything has... overpopulation has made these names, and labels neccessary... a person is nothing but a mere shell, gears in which the engine/soul spirit uses to make itself run. just write what prince ea says from the last part to were he started going backwards, and he lets you know himself.. 4:49 I wanted to mention souls and spirits, but didn't think people would get it or would get all pessimistic about the existence of spirit. Your absolutely spot on though, excellent. |
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Post by CJM on Mar 15, 2009 1:16:19 GMT
Some of these answers are pretty funny.
Everyone's gonna look at it from a different viewpoint.
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Post by SOL DA SUPA NOVA on Mar 15, 2009 1:21:46 GMT
Some of these answers are pretty funny. Everyone's gonna look at it from a different viewpoint. of course.. that is why there are points of views.. if everybody saw things the same, than it would be called point of view, and we would probably be BETTER OFF.. LOL.. |
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Post by CJM on Mar 15, 2009 1:23:36 GMT
Yeah but, this thread is getting way to fantasia
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Post by SOL DA SUPA NOVA on Mar 15, 2009 1:28:53 GMT
Yeah but, this thread is getting way to fantasia haha.. yea but the difference is ones a movie, and the other is reality... the same as biography movies.. ones a movie, and the other really happened.. |
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Post by CJM on Mar 15, 2009 1:31:11 GMT
Yeah, but the way people speaking.
MOVIE.
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