Human Dignity and Human Rights

Abstract

This chapter argues that human dignity should be understood as one more instantiation of status dignity. Accordingly, to have human dignity is to be a member of the human kind, where the human kind is a socially constructed category. This conception of human dignity is then integrated into an account of human rights, and it is shown that despite being socially constructed, human dignity can serve as the foundation of human rights. The chapter concludes by reflecting on the role of human rights practice in preventing the dehumanization of vulnerable people.