Under current U.S. law, one is either a "person" or a "thing." If you are a person, you have the capacity for rights. If you are a thing, you do not. And unfortunately, all nonhuman animals are currently considered things under U.S. law.

In this talk, Professor Sebo presents the case for nonhuman personhood. He considers the four main conceptions of personhood that U.S. courts have cited: a species conception, a social contract conception, a community conception, and a capacities conception. Professor Sebo concludes that if we insist on classifying every being as either a person or a thing, and if we want to be both consistent and inclusive, then we have no choice but to accept that nonhumans can be persons too. This talk is based on an amicus brief that a group of 17 philosophers, including Professor Sebo, submitted to the New York Court of Appeals in Spring 2018 in support of the Nonhuman Rights Project, and a book that 13 of these philosophers, including Professor Sebo, published in Fall 2018.

Jeff Sebo is on the faculty of New York University where he is the Director of the Animal Studies M.A. Program, a Clinical Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, and an Affiliated Professor of Bioethics, Medical Ethics, and Philosophy. Jeff also is on the boards of Minding Animals International, the Sentience Institute, and Animal Charity Evaluators, as well as on the Executive Committee of the Animals & Society Institute.

Sponsored by the Animal Law & Policy Program of Harvard Law School. Cosponsored by Animal Law Society and HLS Effective Altruism.

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