Respect Beyond Persons

The principle of respect is usually intended as respect for persons. Kant maintained that only persons could be the object of a duty of respect. Yet, a number of strategies have been proposed to make the principle more inclusive, mainly by expanding the circle of those cov- of power, but it is not the only power that we have. We are also living beings, and natural entities, and these are also forms of power. So, at each level, there is respect for the kind than expanding the circle of “autonomous agents” and better than trying to ground rights for living beings and for natural entities.