Religion, Morality and Being Human: The Controversial Status of Human Dignity

Abstract

‘Dignity’ holds a controversial place in contemporary debates in ethics, policy, and studies in human personhood. Is ‘dignity’ a property predicated of something called ‘human’? Is it something humans have by virtue of being human, or by virtue of existing as humans? Can it be damaged, or taken away? And does discussion of the term add anything at all to our understanding of how to treat other human beings, or is it a useless term? Here we see that when viewed from a Kantian and Christian perspective, ‘dignity’ is best understood as an orienting term which distinguishes not the or a basic set of features which separate humans from everything else, or some humans from some others, but rather an orientation which calls attention to the humane vs. inhumane way of life to which we commit ourselves when we ascribe dignity to others and ourselves. From a Christian point of view, this humane way of life is a consequence of acknowledging the basic passivity of human life with respect to what is made possible in and for us through the gift of the love of God.