Human Dignity. George Kateb

We often speak of the dignity owed to a person. Anddignity is a word that regularly appears in political speeches. Charters arepromulgated in its name, and appeals to it are made when people all over theworld struggle to achieve their rights. But what exactly is dignity? When oneperson physically assaults another, we feel the wrong demands immediatecondemnation and legal sanction. Whereas when one person humiliates orthoughtlessly makes use of another, we recognize the wrong and hope for aremedy, but the social response is less clear. The injury itself may be hard toquantify. Given our concern with human dignity, it is oddthat it has received comparatively little scrutiny. Here, George Kateb asks what human dignity is and why it matters for the claim to rights. Heproposes that dignity is an "existential" value that pertains to the identityof a person as a human being. To injure or even to try to efface someone'sdignity is to treat that person as not human or less than human—as a thing orinstrument or subhuman creature. Kateb does not limit the notion of dignity toindividuals but extends it to the human species. The dignity of the humanspecies rests on our uniqueness among all other species. In the book'sconcluding section, he argues that despite the ravages we have inflicted on it, nature would be worse off without humanity. The supremely fitting task ofhumanity can be seen as a "stewardship" of nature. This secular defense ofhuman dignity—the first book-length attempt of its kind—crowns the career of adistinguished political thinker.

Video: An Interview With George Kateb Whatis human dignity? George Kateb , author of the newbook Human Dignity , discusses themeaning of the term and its importance in the struggle for universal humanrights.

Listeners: What'syour definition of human dignity?

Human Dignity. George Kateb. Book

George Kateb is WilliamNelson Cromwell Professor of Politics, Emeritus, Princeton University. Hiswritings include Hannah Arendt: Politics, Conscience, Evil (1984); The Inner Ocean: Individualism and Democratic Culture (1992); Emerson and Self-Reliance (1994); 2d ed, 2002); and most recently, Patriotism and Other Mistakes (2007). At Princeton, he was formerly Director ofthe Program in Political Philosophy, Director of the Gauss Seminars, andDirector of the University Center for Human Values .