Final answer:
A human being typically refers to a member of the species Homo sapiens, while personhood involves complex attributes like moral agency and rationality. Traditional analytic philosophers emphasize rationality, while Gilbert Ryle's approach is more descriptive, focusing on everyday behaviors and thoughts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The distinctions between being a human being and a person are crucial in many philosophical and ethical debates, particularly those concerning abortion. A human being typically refers to a member of the species Homo sapiens, while the concept of a person is more complex and includes considerations such as moral agency, rationality, and the capacity for morality. Aristotle and Kant greatly influenced the traditional analytic philosophy view, emphasizing that rationality justifies the special value assigned to persons. In this context, personhood for Kant is contingent upon possessing a rational nature.
Gilbert Ryle's approach to understanding persons contrasts with traditional analytic philosophy by avoiding formal definitions with necessary and sufficient conditions. Ryle's philosophical stance, aligned with ordinary language philosophy, suggests a more practical and descriptive approach to understanding the mind and personhood, focusing on the way people behave and think in everyday life rather than abstract formalities.