11º Task

Should Chimpanzees Be Considered ‘Persons’?

Whose viewpoint is expressed?

The viewpoint is from Mr. Sebo, the director of the animal studies program at New York University. 

What does the author want us to think?

The author wants to make us think about of the possibility that chimpanzees can be considered persons because many gestures, actions, and expressions are so related to human behavior. The only aspect that chimpanzees can't do is to talk, but they can communicate themselves through actions and gestures. They also want to make us think in that humans have a lot of rights and animals few rights. 

What viewpoint is not expressed? Whose voice do we not hear?

I think that the point of view of a linguist because they know perfectly that communication also include gestures to make ourselves understood, it means that in some point of view chimpanzees can be considered "persons". 

What is an alternative perspective of the text?

An alternative perspective is that a long time ago, humans came from the "Homo- sapiens", it means that we have evolved because we came from chimpanzees, why can't we considered them as "persons" if they have a long on aspects in common.

Can you think of other questions this text responds to?

To the evolution of humans.