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9263 | A person is an entity to which we can ascribe predicates of consciousness and corporeality [Strawson,P] |
Full Idea: What I mean by the concept of a person is the concept of a type of entity such that both predicates ascribing states of consciousness and predicates ascribing corporeal characteristics are equally applicable to a single individual of that single type. | |
From: Peter F. Strawson (Individuals:Essay in Descript Metaphysics [1959], 3.4) | |
A reaction: As Frankfurt points out, merely requiring the entity to be 'conscious' is a grossly inadequate definition of what we mean by a person, which is typically a being that is self-aware and capable of rational decisions between alternatives. |