人間の輪郭 : その曖昧さを擁護するために

Abstract

Is the concept of human being a clear one? This is my question. Or rather, it is a further question for me even to try to make it clear. In this case the so-called demarcation problem comes up. To tell the truth, it is impossible for us to give an answer to the question to what is a human being and to what is not. Whatever answer is given, it may be a mere expedient. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to show the reason why it is so. To be concrete, in the second section, I will start to extract the Cartesian doctrine of the bete-machine from Discours de la Methode and other writings, and to examine it together with some other similar doctrines. Next, I will show, with the help of the sorites paradox, the reason why what makes us human beings should remain ambiguous. We will acquire a more fertile concept of humanity if my discussion in the third section succeeds in clarifying this point. Finally, in the last section, referring to human dignity, I would like to propose a new viewpoint of the relationship between the Sanctity of Life (SOL) and the Quality of Life (QOL), which is based on the criticism of the common understanding of them.