Human Dignity

This Element discusses many interpretations of the meaning, justification, and application of the concepts of dignity, respect, and value.

Kant's philosophy is an inspiration for our conception that all human beings deserve respect, independently of their race, gender, religion, or social status. This Element addresses four topics in Kant's moral philosophy. It gives readers the option to choose for themselves which reading is the most plausible interpretation of human dignity.What is human dignity? Kant's philosophy is a central inspiration for our contemporary conception that all human beings deserve respect – independently of their race, gender, religion, or social status. In this Element, I address four topics in Kant's moral philosophy: What specifically does one have to do (or refrain from doing) to respect a human being? What is the reason why one should respect human beings? What is dignity, i.e., what does the term mean and what kind of thing is it? Finally, in a short appendix, I address the question: Do only human beings deserve respect; how could one extend it to non-human animals as well? In each chapter, I present a range of different interpretations of how one can read Kant's texts and address their advantages and disadvantages. It gives readers the option to choose for themselves which reading is the most plausible interpretation of human dignity.