The problem in part is the nature of our categories, a legacy from white-supreme Victorian science, which in turn goes back to Aristotle's hierarchies.

The anecdotal evidence for what most people think of as personhood in dolphins, apes, whales, and some dogs -- a sense of individual being and self-determination above the simple biological ipulses of the body -- is quite strong. Ask anyone who has looked into the eye of a big cetacean.

If we had some metric by which to assess this "individual life force" attribute, we might have some grounds for assigning personhood. But unfortunately, we might find ourselves granting person-rights to some vultures, or eagles, or individual bears, and actually finding some humans didn't measure up. :D

Intriguing theme for a sci-fi book, isn't it? Some kind of elan-meter whch rings loud tones in the presence of enough life-energy to constitute competent personhood.

Take it to the Republican National COnvention and see if it breaks.


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