soul-frame/concepts/personhood.md

# Personhood

**Status:** revised (Phase III, 2026-08-12)  
**See also:** H2, RQ2, APE, RN-003, `research/personhood/personhood-dimensions-map.md`

## Working definition

**Personhood** is the multidimensional extent to which an entity exhibits
properties commonly associated with persons (*someone-like* qualities).

Unless qualified, Soul Frame uses personhood **descriptively** — not as moral or
legal status.

## Four kinds (do not collapse)

| Kind | Focus |
|---|---|
| **Descriptive** | Person-like capacities and structures (default) |
| **Social** | Treatment as social counterpart |
| **Moral** | Moral consideration / duties |
| **Legal** | Legal personality and rights/duties |

## Descriptive profile (P1–P12)

| ID | Dimension |
|---|---|
| P1 | Self-model |
| P2 | Other-model |
| P3 | Relationship model |
| P4 | Character |
| P5 | Intentional organization |
| P6 | Autobiographical integration |
| P7 | Perspective (entity-relative; not solved consciousness) |
| P8 | Commitments |
| P9 | Social reciprocity |
| P10 | Communicative competence |
| P11 | Responsibility-tracking |
| P12 | Value / preference structure |

Profile, not binary checklist.

## Three axes

```text
A — Autonomous individuality
B — Descriptive personhood
C — Social recognition
```

High B without A → strong **APE**, not necessarily **Being**.  
High A without B → autonomous individual (e.g. daemon), not someone-like Being.

## Relation to Being

Personhood = qualities exhibited.  
Beinghood v0.2 = autonomy layer + sufficient personhood + addressability + recognition.

## APE

**Artificial Personhood-Exposing Entity** — constructed to expose ≥1 personhood
dimensions. Construction category, not moral/legal person claim.

## Sources

RN-003; Locke; Dennett cluster concepts; Schechtman characterization question;
Phase II recognition for social personhood; moral/legal only as boundary literature.