The statement that both Washoe-Delta and AL are both persons is the only rational conclusion for this argument. Washoe-Delta is a female chimpanzee that is placed in space by the company, Humanico, to be able to observe the effects of staying in space for long periods of time. She is able to communicate using American Sign Language and other hand gestures. AL is an advanced Turing 346 computer that is also placed in space to accompany Washoe-Delta. The computer allows for video-sensor inputs and has motor outputs. It is essential to understand this fact because they fit into the criteria for a person and must be acknowledged as so by the general public. The Argument for Recognition is one way to justify this claim. There are various pieces …show more content…
A rationale for the first premise is that the crew was able to share feelings as though they were persons. This created an emotional bond that is similar/ equal to that of humans. This, then allows us to evaluate the second premise of the argument.
A rational person can argue that the second premise is valid because their interactions make them a part of a community. To be treated like a person is all that it takes to be considered one. An example of this would be when dogs raise tiger cubs. The tiger cub has a valid reason to believe that he or she is a dog since he or she is being treated just like one and is accepted into that community. In conclusion, these are some of the reasons why Washoe-Delta and AL should be considered persons. On the other hand, there are also objections that can be made for the argument. An argument that goes against the belief that Washoe-Delta and AL are persons is the Argument from Definition. It comes to the conclusion that they are not persons and argues that they do not fit the primary sense of what being a person means. The primary meaning is the central or focal meaning of a word. Now that we have some background information, we can look at the