The Genealogy of ‘Human Dignity’: A New Perspective

ABSTRACT This article considers the history of the concept of human dignity from its origins in the Bible and in Stoic philosophy down to the twentieth century. The major thinkers who contributed to the development of the idea are examined, including Pico della Mirandola, Pufendorf, Kant, and Broch. Similarly, the views of contemporary philosophers such as Jürgen Habermas and Martha Nussbaum are considered. The central thesis in this argument, which diverges from the standard view, is that Goethe occupies a pivotal role in this tradition. Goethe’s creation of an organic, holistic and self-reflective view of human dignity established a new paradigm. This innovative concept of dignity as an expression of human growth and self-realization found its way into the UDHR and German Basic Law. It is a position adopted by the German Constitutional Court in several important rulings; and it continues to find an echo in the writings of contemporary philosophers.