The Concept of Human Dignity

The concept of human dignity has had a fundamental importance throughout the cultural development of human civilization, as recognized by Whitehead (1933). In his work Adventures of Ideas, he stated that the history of human civilization can be summarized by the progressive formation of the concept of human dignity. Most thinkers will agree with this affirmation, although the notion of human dignity is not immediately clear and has even had different interpretations throughout history (Kateb 2014). Therefore, it is necessary to make an effort to reduce the vagueness of the concept and render possible an actual use of human dignity in a business context. Our aim in this section is to clarify the concept of human dignity and make it operative when discussing the functioning of the firm (Pirson et al. 2015). Dignity has been defined as “the ability to establish a sense of self-worth and self-respect and to appreciate the respect of others” (Hodson 2001, p. 3).

Following Dierksmeier (2011), it is possible to identify three major steps in the development of the concept of human dignity: antique conceptions of dignity (Greek and Roman thinkers), medieval thinkers, and modern positions on dignity (from the Renaissance until today).

For ancient philosophers (especially Plato and Aristotle) the concept of human dignity rested on the rational capacity of the human being. This was the fundamental feature that differentiated the human species from other beings. This rational capacity was theoretically available to all persons, but its actual development was achieved only by a minority of individuals which had both high intellectual capacity and access to an exclusive educational system. In its wider interpretation, this view is still present in modern thinkers, which defend the idea that humanity is the greatest type of species on earth based on its rational capacity. Thus, every human being deserves to be treated in a manner consonant to this situation (Kateb 2014).

Medieval thinkers in Europe shifted the classic conception of human dignity towards a complete universal and given feature of all human beings, regardless of their position in society, their level of education or their intellectual capabilities (Sagastagoitia 2011). All persons are created at the image of God ( imago Del) , so dignity is bestowed upon every person. This way of thinking is still present in modern Catholic Social Teaching (CST) (Leo XIII 1891) Benedict XVI 2009). Although more democratic than the previous one, this view is based upon religious belief that may not be shared by the individuals that form our cosmopolitan society.

In contrast, modern positions on dignity are based on human existence in itself. It is not made dependent on exterior conditions or beings (other animals or God). This shift can be traced back to the Renaissance where, in contrast to with the previous medieval thinking, an author (Pico della Mirandola) stated that the human being is able to follow the path that he/she chooses for himself/herself. This ability to choose (freedom) is present in all persons and in this unique characteristic of the human being modern authors find the foundation of human dignity (Rosen 2012).

Between modern authors, Kant devoted much attention towards the concepts of human dignity and freedom (Waldrom 2009) . In Kant’s view, there is a differentiation between the absolute dignity of a person as such and the relative value of a person according to his/her moral worthiness. In fact, human freedom derives from the capacity to realizing moral commands and not vice versa. In others words, through the capacity of being moral, the human being achieves his/her freedom. This capacity of being moral gives the human being his/her special status above all other species, and thence the special dignity that humans bear (Dierksmeier 2015). In this Kantian view, human dignity lies in the unique capacity that the human being has in the planet to act morally (Kateb 2014). Consequently, respect to human dignity means to respect the capacity of each person to define his/her own aims, ideally (but not always) in order to lead a moral life. Because persons are capable of moral actions they must be treated as ends-in-themselves (Rosen 2012). In fact, human dignity is calling for respect. On one hand, self-respect in order to follow a moral disposition when taking decisions. On the other hand, mutual respect to avoid treating others as you would not like to be treated (Rosen 2012; Kateb 2014).

Other modern authors have underlined the importance of human dignity as the source of our human rights. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (in force since 1976) states in its preamble that the rights contained in the Covenant “derive from the inherent dignity of the human person”. And the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UN 1948) states that human beings are free and equal in dignity and rights, with inviolable rights and dignity. It is possible to link the Kantian ideas to the modern construction of human rights: we should respect the rights that people have, because they are moral (and therefore, free) beings (Rosen 2012).

The concept of dignity has been associated also to the status hold by a given person, or to the respect due to that status (Waldrom 2009). Historically, only principal persons (such as kings or noblemen) had that kind of status. The Latin word dignitas, in one of their meanings, was attached to the deference due to a person because of rank or office (Dierksmeier 2011). Through history, this restricted sense of dignity that was common in ancient times (Greek and Roman classic world) has evolved towards a universal characteristic inherent to all human beings (Donaldson 1993). As we have analyzed in this section, the Catholic theology was a first step in this transformation. Afterwards, modern philosophers linked the notion of dignity to freedom and morally, two features that are present in all persons. With the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Covenant, many of the rights that were particular privileges of persons of high status (or high dignity) became available to the entire human species. In a certain way, “the modern notion of human dignity involves an upwards equalization of rank, so that we now try to accord to every person the respect, rank that was formerly accorded to nobility” (Waldrom 2009, p. 29). According to the spirit and the letter of human rights, all individuals have the same dignity, which means that every person has a status equal to that of all others (Kateb 2014).

Our aim in this section has been to clarify the concept of dignity and to make it operative in a business context. In the previous paragraphs we have analyzed the changing foundations of human dignity and its fundamental role in building human rights in a universal and unconditional way for all human beings. At the same time, this evolution makes the concept of human dignity truly operative in order to introduce moral concerns in a business context. This idea will be developed in the next section.