Final answer:
The question explores the notion of personhood, a status that encompasses moral and legal rights attributed to being human. It touches on philosophical views and the debate over abortion rights, linking personhood with human rights acknowledged by the United Nations. Personhood is critical when considering the legitimacy of state power and the international enforcement of human rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept under discussion relates to personhood and the inherent moral and legal rights associated with being human. Central to various ethical, legal, and philosophical debates, such as those pertaining to abortion, personhood is often tied to humanity and its associated worth and dignity. Philosophers like Aristotle and Immanuel Kant have linked personhood with the capacity for rational thought, while others, like Ronald Dworkin, argue that full moral status comes simply from being a member of the human species. This is echoed in the positions of the United Nations on human rights which are viewed as inherent and not granted by any state.
The matter of personhood and moral status has profound implications for the rights to life and bodily autonomy. When discussing abortion, the potential personhood of the unborn is weighed against the right of an individual to maintain bodily autonomy. While unborn children may not exhibit full rational agency, they are nonetheless recognized to have intrinsic worth that would prohibit their being harmed on such a basis. The discussion on personhood extends to the examination of states and the legitimacy of their commands within territories, as well as the intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations that recognize and enforce human rights.