Human dignity is the most fundamental principle of Catholic social teaching. On the surface it seems uncontroversial – most faiths and secular philosophies say that human beings have dignity and worth. However, exploring it more deeply, we discover that things can be complicated and even contested.
For Catholics, the dignity of the human person is the bedrock of all social ethics. We believe that our dignity is not earned. It is innate because we are made in the image and likeness of God. Traditionally, moral theology stressed the uniquely human ability to act with intelligence and freedom as reflecting the image of God. However, Pope Francis teaches in Laudato Si’ that all creatures – not just human creatures – reflect something of their Creator and have something to say to us. We must also be careful not to simply identify intelligence with God’s image – this could cause disrespect for the human dignity of people with intellectual disabilities. The point is that human beings can choose what we do, who we are, and what kind of people we become in relation to others – we are free and responsible.
Inherent or Ontological Dignity
The dignity of the human person implies that human beings have absolute value. Our dignity is not relative to, contingent or conditional on anything else. It is permanent, transcendent, inalienable, and irreplaceable. No one in any time, place or circumstances ever ceases to matter. No one can ever take another’s place – or, as Pope Francis says, there are no ‘spare’ or ‘throwaway’ people. the Catholic tradition understands human rights as the claims made by human dignity.
Our inherent or ontological dignity never ceases to exist. We can’t give this dignity away, and no one can take it from us, even when it is systematically denied or violated. We cannot give others inherent dignity because this dignity does not come from us, or anything that we do. What we can and should do is to respect, protect, and uphold the inherent dignity of each person.
In its document Dignitas Infinita, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith describe three additional forms of human dignity – social, moral and existential dignity. Our own actions and those of others can diminish or bolster these forms of dignity.
Four Forms of Human Dignity
In this podcast episode Dr Sandie Cornish explains the four kinds of dignity that people possess according to Dignitas Infinita.
In the next podcast Dr Sandie Cornish and Professor David Kirchhoffer discuss Dignitas Infinita with Paul Osborne from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.
Respecting Human Dignity in Practice
There is widespread agreement that human dignity exits, and everyone should respect it. However, the concrete action demanded by respect for this dignity in a specific time, place, and circumstances, may not be so obvious and undisputed. We express our respect for the dignity of the human person not in the abstract but in relation to actual people. Hence how we respect someone’s dignity and the details of what is essential to respect, protect and fulfill their inalienable rights will vary between cultures and times.
General principles to which there are no exceptions – like human dignity – must be specified by mediating norms. Focussing on principles alone misses the mediating norms or criteria for judgement offered by Catholic social teaching. These can help us as we seek to do justice in specific times, places, and circumstances. For example, in a market economy, respect for human dignity (principle) requires a living wage (criterion) and in a particular time and place that will require an actual wage level or a formula for deciding on one (guideline for action).