What are “nonhuman persons?” Dolphins are, according to Tom White, the Hilton Professor of Business Ethics and director of the Center for Ethics and Business at Loyola Marymount University.
White, the author of “In Defense of Dolphins: The New Moral Frontier,” was interviewed about his research and findings on the KPCC radio program “AirTalk.” During the 20-minute discussion with host Larry Mantel, White said that there is scientific evidence that dolphins, like humans, are self-aware and intelligent, with emotions, personalities and the capacity to control their actions. As a result, he said, they should be regarded as “nonhuman persons” and valued as individuals.
White described his work as U. S. ambassador to the United Nations for its “Year of the Dolphin Program,” in which he worked to raise public awareness about the ethical treatment of dolphins.
“Dolphins are nonhuman persons even though they don’t look or act like us,” White told Mantel. “The injuries, deaths and captivity of dolphins at the hands of humans are wrong.”