Introduction
In the philosophical world, there are many rumbles of whom or what a person is. Many theories try to explain circumstances under which a being may be considered to be a person. This document seeks to agree with Frankfurt on the concept that the will is the defining point when it comes to setting boundaries of whom or what a person is.
Person’s Will
Will is the desire to do or not to do something. Frankfurt reasons that besides having motives and desires, human beings are the only creature that can develop "second-order desires" of being better than before or others. The will of other creatures falls under “first order desires” associated with making simple choices of doing or not doing (Frankfurt, 1971). It is only human beings who can re-evaluate themselves, make suggestions and act upon their will to make second-order choices.
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It is not hidden from any person to see that there is a behavioral difference between humans and other creatures. This difference is brought about by the power of the will. The will must be effective for the action to materialize. The will must be elevated to a second order volition (Frankfurt, 1971). Effective will or second order volition is when a being does something because that is what they want to do acting on their first order desire it is only then that a being becomes a person (Frankfurt, 1971). For a being to be a person, he/she must act on his desires with an understanding, fully knowing that that action is what they want.
Consequently, beings who respond heedlessly to their first order desires cannot be persons. Such beings do not consider what they want their will to be. They have a challenge identifying the powerful desire. However, I disagree with Frankfurt when he includes children and older people among beings that he calls "wanton" (Frankfurt, 1971). The strength of a person's brain also influences his ability to make proper decisions. Normally, children and older people tend to have weaker brains, but this should not make them non-persons while in their prime they were persons.
Overall, the term person should only be applied to those beings that have the will and act from second-order volitions. A person must be able to think and act on his will giving priority to those matters that he desires to do rather than other matters bearing sway on him making him do what he doesn't want to do.
References
Frankfurt, H. G. (1971). Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person. The Journal of Philosophy, 68(1): pp. 5-20. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2024717
