Personon

Personon is a neologism used in philosophy and speculative fiction to refer to any entity that meets widely discussed criteria for personhood, regardless of biological origin. The term is employed to discuss whether nonhuman or non-biological beings can be considered persons in moral or legal contexts.

Etymology and usage: The word blends 'person' with a suffix that signals a being or entity. It is not a formally standardized category, and its exact definition varies by author or field. In some discussions, a personon may be defined by capacity rather than lineage, focusing on function, rights, or social standing rather than ancestry.

Criteria: In most debates, a personon would possess a combination of consciousness, intentionality, rational agency, self-awareness, and autonomy. Such attributes are commonly linked to moral consideration or rights, but there is ongoing disagreement about which features are essential and how to measure them in non-biological beings.

Contexts: The concept is used to explore legal and ethical implications of extending personhood beyond humans. In artificial intelligence ethics, personon-talk helps distinguish machine minds that function as autonomous agents from mere tools, raising questions about rights, responsibilities, and societal integration.

Examples: In fiction and thought experiments, personons appear as androids, digital minds, or uplifted animals that exhibit person-like capacities. The term serves as a way to analyze how society might treat entities that resemble persons in key respects but differ in origin or form.