rational being
Mind-possessing creature
A rational being is an entity capable of reason—able to think, reflect, and act according to logic rather than pure instinct.
The term appears most often in philosophy and ethics, where it marks the boundary of moral consideration: Kant argued that rational beings deserve respect as ends in themselves, never merely as means.
Are dolphins rational beings?
The question of what qualifies as a rational being—humans only, some animals, artificial intelligence—remains contested.
- humanHomo sapiens individual
- thinkerOne who contemplates
- mindSeat of consciousness
- sound mindMental clarity and stability
- consciousnessState of sentient awareness
intellect · reason · logic · clear thinking · sentient · soul · philosopher · sapient · inner life · wisdom · mortal · person · creature · agent · thought · understanding · good judgment · judgment
- ethicsmorality, deontology, dignity, sanctity of life, utilitarianism
- Kantian ethicscategorical imperative, Kant, moral law, good will, practical reason
- KantKant, categorical imperative, a priori, thing-in-itself, noumena
rational, being, ratio, ration, rationale, rationalism, rationalist, rationalistic, rationality