Date of Graduation

8-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Philosophy (MA)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Philosophy

Advisor/Mentor

Lee, Robert

Committee Member

Purdy, Ashley

Second Committee Member

McMullen, Amanda

Keywords

Good personhood; Humanhood; Moral philosophy; Personhood

Abstract

This thesis centers around two philosophical problems: the concept of a person and the process by which one becomes a morally good person. Drawing on the works of philosophers such as Harry Frankfurt, Strawson, and A.J. Ayer, it begins with an inquiry into what it means to be a person. It argues that while humanhood, with its rational capacities, is a contingent rather than a necessary condition, it can serve as an accurate predictor of personhood. The thesis posits that personhood is an achievement rather than an inherent state, facilitated by interactions within a social framework that refine these rational capacities. Examples such as feral humans, who only achieve personhood through integration into society, illustrate this dynamic process. Furthermore, the thesis contends that becoming a morally good person is not an inherent trait, challenging the nativist view. Instead, it proposes that moral personhood is cultivated through active engagement with moral frameworks within community norms, insofar as they advance the ideal interactive environment and collective wellbeing.

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