Date of Graduation

8-2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Philosophy

Advisor/Mentor

Lee, Richard

Committee Member

Herold, Warren A.

Second Committee Member

Stevens, Christopher W.

Keywords

bioethics; personal identity; personhood; value

Abstract

I develop a theory of personal ontology called normative pragmatic selfhood (NPS) to explain what persons are and how they are morally valuable. I also demonstrate the applicability of NPS theory by using it to assess the moral status of marginal cases in bioethical dilemmas. I begin by discussing the concept of intrinsic value and why it is problematic when it comes to persons. I then draw upon John Dewey’s theory of value, specifically the concept of growth, and Kant’s concept of humanity to show that persons are objectively yet extrinsically valuable. Next, I discuss and argue how the psychological and narrative theories of identity are unable to justify the value of persons and how NPS theory succeeds in doing so. I conclude by showing how the application of NPS theory to marginal cases offers one way of thinking through these difficult bioethical issues.

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