This course analyzes arguments about humans, persons, animals, and machines. Each category has many different meanings as a glance at the dictionary will prove. We will explore debates about the nuances and overlaps between the categories. To get started, however, we'll simply stipulate some definitions.

'Human' is a biological designation identifying the class of mammals in which you and I reside.

'Person' and human are not synonymous, as person takes us beyond biology into philosophy. Persons are psychologically advanced humans, moral agents with some measure of control over themselves. To become a person is an achievement. Persons are humans with moral standing; we are entitled to be shown respect by other persons and in turn must show respect to them.

'Animal,' a biological designation, encompasses the first two categories.

'Machine' refers to nonliving things and as such designates objects outside the first three categories.

You will soon finish reading this module and be looking for assignments. Read Comstock's elaboration of the four categories in his "Intro to OSOTH," and then Geoffrey Harpham's discussion of the tension between scientific and humanistic approaches to the study of the human. Note that when you click on Harpham's link, you will be taken to the On the Human (OTH) website, a project of the National Humanities Center. Our course is associated with the Center's OTH initiative.

Remember, when you've finished the required assignments, click on the 'Next' arrow below. You may also click on the name of the module under the arrow--both icons take you to the same place.