h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In the middle of a discussion this morning (on "persons" and "relationships", as it happens), it occurred to me that I should have explained here why I distinguished in my first entry between "persons" and "people". Although to me the distinction is self-evident, it might not be to everyone.

I tend to think of "person" as referring to any sentient being, apart from considerations of which species it wears. So in my usage, any genuine locus of intelligences, emotions, intentions, and such qualities, in whatever proportion and range or limitation of function, I call a "person". I imagine (I choose that word deliberately) that there are individual members of other species than humans -- not necessarily on earth, but non-terran species -- to say, "cogito ergo sum". And to me they would be "persons".

"People" I think of as being weighted by custom for use as a collective term for human persons.

I know it's arbitrary, but I find it useful when I want to focus my attention on the elements of personhood rather than allowing my attention to be diffused onto elements of species or culture.