Human Dignity: Foundations, Crisis, and Moral Philosophy

Human Dignity: A Foundation for Law and Ethics

Kant posited that human dignity is what distinguishes a moral being. Using a human as a means or tool undermines their inherent worth. A person has value, but is priceless and cannot be bought.

The 1948 Declaration of Human Rights states that "freedom, justice, and peace are universally desirable values, which depend on the recognition of the dignity of all."

Human dignity is not a scientific fact but a concept within the vocabulary of ethics. Many philosophers derive human freedom or rights from it, but they are describing reality, not establishing rules. The most justifiable approach is to assert, as a constitutional fact, the dignity of every human being and act accordingly.

The Crisis of Morality

When societies lived in isolation, moral traditions were stable. However, crises arose due to the following factors:

• Critical political movements questioning societal rules and foundations. Protest movements clashed with existing rules throughout history.
• Social or cultural changes that previous moral frameworks could not address. New technologies have raised moral problems previously unthinkable.
• The emergence of great moral or religious figures who presented new ways of understanding life, gaining large followings. Cultures and religious traditions often originate from personalities who taught new ways of living, acting as reformers of existing beliefs.
• Contact with other cultures, undermining confidence in the infallibility of one's own. The knowledge of societies living differently caused unrest and uncertainty. Some moral systems opposed these difficulties dogmatically, while others tried to justify their rules with arguments valid for all. This led to the development of moral philosophy.