Postmodern Perspectives on Human Dignity
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2013
Abstract
Human dignity is a foundational concept in ethics, especially with regard to the applied fields of medical ethics and bioethics. According to Roberto Andorno, “The emphasis on human dignity is impressive enough to lead scholars to characterize this notion as ‘the shaping principle’ of international bioethics” (Andorno 2009: 227). It is also one of the more vague concepts, typically occurring in official documents without definition. For instance, the term dignity occurs five times in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations 1948), but no definitive meaning is attached to the term within the document. Similar to other ethical concepts, there is no clear and distinct definition for human dignity, but we are somehow expected to “know it when we see it.”.
Recommended Citation
Tschaepe, M. (2013). Postmodern Perspectives on Human Dignity. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/arts-and-science-facpubs/32