What is Personhood?

What is "personhood"? What is it that makes a person a "person"? Is it the clothes they wear? Is it the physical characteristics of him or her? Is a person a person because they look different from another person? Are they a person because they may act or behave differently? Is it the actions of a person that "personifies" them?

What is it exactly that makes a person a person?

Maybe you've never actually thought about this before. Dictionaries define persons as "humans" or "individuals". Is this true? Does a dog or a cat have personhood? Does a lion or tiger have personality?

To examine the idea of personhood, we must begin with a definition of personhood. My presupposition and definition is that personhood is a label used to describe the idea of a being that is capable of making rational, intelligent, and moral decisions. Thus, to determine the validity that such beings exist, we can make the following 4 arguments:

Argument #1: Does Personhood exist?

1. If personhood exists, beings that make rational, intelligent, and moral decisions must exist.
2. Such beings do exist.
3. Thus, personhood exists.

Argument #2: Is God a person?

1. If personhood exists, beings that make rational, intelligent, and moral decisions must exist.
2. God makes such decisions.
3. Thus, God is a person.

Argument #3: Is a human being a person?

1. If personhood exists, beings that make rational, intelligent, and moral decisions must exist.
2. Humans make such decisions.
3. Thus, a human being is a person.

Argument #4: Is an animal a person?

1. If personhood exists, beings that make rational, intelligent, and moral decisions must exist.
2. Animals do not make such decisions.
3. Thus, animals are not persons.

Therefore, we conclude that God and humans are both "persons". Animals are not. The Scriptures teach us that human beings are made in the image of God (Gen 1:26). Thus, we can also conclude that the personhood that is found in God is also found in us. We can extend this logic to also say that spiritual beings capable of making rational, intelligent, and moral decisions also have personhood. Thus, angels, the Devil, and demons can also be said to have personhood.

When we apply this logic to the Trinity we run into a problem. For the doctrine of the Trinity states that God is "three persons in one". Thus, He is Triune or a unity of three "persons". Yet, in order to create such a doctrine it must be proved that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each individual persons and not simply the same being. In this sense, it is impossible to prove because you are attempting to prove something by arguing against the very definition of it. You cannot argue that a dog is a dog by stating that a dog is not a cat because by its very definition a dog is not a cat. Or suppose that you tried to argue that the color blue is blue because it is not red. By its very definition its not red so you can't argue for something by stating that it is simply not something else. You cant try to prove a thing to be something by arguing the opposite. I cannot therefore prove the Trinity by using evidence contrary to itself to prove it.

Thus, if the doctrine of the Trinity is true it must be what Philosophers describe as a "basic belief". It must be necessarily true. The color blue is blue because its blue and not red. It is a basic understanding that I start with and do not attempt to re-define it as something other than blue. By its very definition, it's blue. Thus, if the Trinity is true it must be true because God by His very definition is three in one.

Scripture cannot prove that God is Triune, it can only state it. If it states it without attempting to prove it then it is assumed to be true. It is a "basic belief" and the definition of God. If it does not state it, then it is not true. It is not a basic belief. Therefore, if we can find within the Bible evidence that each of the 3 (God, Son, Holy Spirit) are in fact persons then they must be so because God Himself is defined as three in one. The Scriptures never prove God exists. They simply state it. The same must be true with the definition of God. If Scripture states that He is Triune then the doctrine of the Trinity is true.