[ethiclub]

If we grant partial personhood based on our knowledge of 'complexity or maturity of consciousness', we are setting ourselves up to a) see ourselves as qualified to do so, and even to 'act as god' in some circumstances, b) creating an expensive, difficult challenge for ourselves, and c) declaring that there is an appropriate hierarchy - arguably comparable of a caste system (Which is scary). Not granting any personhood/ rights at all (our current state) is a subset of this, and the most extreme example of heirarchical positioning based on 'right to be there'.

On the other hand, granting equal rights to all means treating a squirrel as reverently as a human, which society does not seem to agree with.

One of the biggest conversations for the 21st century.

Perhaps the former is a means to an end, and the answer is to slowly assimilate other species into coverage of legislation, with the end game of protecting all live equally. It feels as if future societies would look back and judge us for not immediately siding with the latter.