Defining Dignity.
Defining “human dignity” is an ongoing challenge within the legal and philosophical community, for the phrase finds itself being used within constitutional preambles, judicial opinions, and in declarations of human rights across the world.
“Those of us who want to explore the connection between dignity and human rights did not make that connection up. The world (as it were) committed itself to a claim about a foundational connection between dignity and human rights. The claim might turn out to be false, misconceived, confused, or merely rhetorical. The skeptics may be right when they say it is mere decoration in the great charters, or a place-holder to conceal intractable controversy. But we can’t be sure of this in advance. Anyway, for those who practice philosophy, there is no option but to explore these claims.” - Jeremy Waldron