Is a person and a human being the same thing?

As you have seen, most of the entries in this blog are from the English Workshop classes in school. However, occasionally there is an exception to this rule, normally when an interesting or different event takes place. This is the case for this blog entry, although instead of an interesting event, it was a wonderfully-written essay. Eva, a pupil from 3ºESO, has written a philosophy essay, in English, which has surprised everybody who has read it for its maturity of ideas and expression. Please read on, and feel free to leave a comment.

A human being and a person are not synonymous. The former is a biological species of the animal kingdom, and the latter goes beyond the biological condition. Someone is considered a person when their dignity, freedom and rights are recognized. They are rational beings, asking questions about the meaning of life and the nature of good and evil. Thus, they are different levels of humanity, but not exclusive. A human being does not have to be a person, however a person is ALWAYS a human being due to the fact that animals do not have the moral capacity to transcend nutrition, reproduction and sleep. So, it is possible to be a moral person, a legal person or both.

A moral person has their own ethical and personal values and can make decisions for themselves following their own opinions. A legal person on the other hand, possesses rights and legal responsibilities. They have to follow the law imposed by the system of justice. However, even though a moral person knows that they have to obey these laws, if they do not agree with them, they can decide not to do so.

As can be seen during the Roman Empire , when slaves were not considered people, either morally nor legally. They were treated like objects. They did not have civil or legal rights. They did not follow the rules established by law, common to all free citizens , but the ones their owners dictated. They did not possess dignity, they were not treated as people, they suffered abuse without any legal recourse because they were considered undeserving of it. They were not free, they could not quit being slaves, it was not a job but a condition.

Unfortunately, there are other ways to lose one's status as a person. For example: if a group of people are discriminated against because they belong to a certain ethnicity, religion or sex, they lose their status as people. If someone is not recognised by law or if they lose their capacity to make decisions, they are no longer considered a person.

Imagine a dilemma in which:

There is a happily married couple, and all of a sudden the wife gets deadly ill. Sadly, the hospital director denied them the treatment that would save her life, as they could not afford it. So, the husband decides to take the risk and steals the medicine. Should the husband or the hospital director go to prison? Who deserves it more? The director has not committed any actual crime, but the husband was just trying to save his wife. This is a moral question a person would have difficulty solving. However there is no correct answer because each person has their own vision of what is ethical and their own values.

Despite the truth that anyone should have the right to be a person, this does not happen in all parts of the world. So,how can this problem be solved? There is already an international document that lists Human Rights worldwide. However, Human Rights only exist if they are agreed upon by developed countries. They are the ones who decide what rights exist and which can be taken away. Unlike more problematic cultures that do not have the same rights due to poverty, corruption and conflicts. What can be done then? There is no answer yet, though ones needs to be found. Since the Western Countries that support the UN have less altruistic political interests than the media make people believe , this is not an easy task.

Hopefully, there are people who do not just accept the current situation , and stand up for a fair society. They are the heroes of our time who will build a better future for all of us.