The Cambridge handbook of human dignity

"This introduction to human dignity explores the history of the notion from antiquity to the nineteenth century, and the way in which dignity is conceptualised in non-Western contexts. Building on this, it addresses a range of systematic conceptualisations, considers the theoretical and legal conditions for human dignity as a useful notion and analyses a number of philosophical and conceptual approaches to dignity. Finally, the book introduces current debates, paying particular attention to the legal implementation, human rights, justice and conflicts, medicine and bioethics, and provides an explicit systematic framework for discussing human dignity. Adopting a wide range of perspectives and taking into account numerous cultures and contexts, this handbook is a valuable resource for students, scholars and professionals working in philosophy, law, history and theology"-- "Human Dignity was established in 1948 as the foundational concept of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The Preamble to the Declaration opens with the statement: 'Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world....' In Article 1, we read: 'All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.' And, in 1966, the United Nations declared: 'These [human] rights derive from the inherent dignity of the human person' . During the preparation of the Declaration (1946-1948) , there were discussions about whether there was a need for such a foundational concept and, if so, which notion that should be Choosing human dignity immediately after the war was a statement against the Shoah, against totalitarianism, and against the atrocities of World War II. However, by choosing Human Dignity, a concept was selected that has an impressive history in various traditions. The stoic philosopher Cicero saw it as a central requirement of a virtuous life that one should behave in a way that is appropriate to the dignity of a human being; and, famously, for Immanuel Kant, the dignity of the human person is at the centre of his moral philosophy"--