As an organisation dedicated to the pursuit of the promotion and protection of human rights, as inherent to the dignity of all human beings, we are sometimes left to wonder how we can account for how human dignity can be both something we already have and something that we seek to acquire. We discover in this wondering - and wandering - that we are not alone in trying to define dignity and its place in human rights. According to a recent article in THE NEW BIOETHICS, (Vol. 20 No.1, 2014, 12-3) Dignity can be defined in several different, but complementary ways, which fall broadly into two categories: these are inherent dignity and non-inherent dignity. Inherent dignity refers to a quality of value or worth belonging equally to every human being; it is permanent, unconditional, indivisible and inviolable. Inherent dignity is related to, and often used interchangeably with, the similar concept of intrinsic value i.e. inviolable worth arising from within each person. Non-inherent dignity (NID) is an acquired and variable condition; it is contingent upon a persons circumstances and behaviour. Aha! So dignity is not a singularly held conception across the globe. The concept of dignity forms a network of interconnected ideas related to worth and value particularly within legal and ethical discourse; it is a rich and meaningful concept, irreducible to one or two quasi-legal principles. Fundamentally, dignity matters because it forms the foundation of civilized society; without it, serious abuse of people is more likely to occur.
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 05:07:16 +0000
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