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Human dignity

Human dignity is a universal concept that emphasizes the fundamental equality and unique worth of every individual, regardless of their background. It encompasses essential rights such as clothing, shelter, and self-expression, while also highlighting the importance of respect and community. The document further explores the implications of human dignity from a Christian perspective, drawing on biblical sources to illustrate the moral obligations to uphold justice and support the marginalized.

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Ariel Villaflor
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5 views

Human dignity

Human dignity is a universal concept that emphasizes the fundamental equality and unique worth of every individual, regardless of their background. It encompasses essential rights such as clothing, shelter, and self-expression, while also highlighting the importance of respect and community. The document further explores the implications of human dignity from a Christian perspective, drawing on biblical sources to illustrate the moral obligations to uphold justice and support the marginalized.

Uploaded by

Ariel Villaflor
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Human dignity

- regardless of Age, gender, religion, color, race, status in life and economic background

Fundamentally equal but unique

There is a fundamental equality among human persons by virtue of common dignity as persons. Equality
allows us to take an interest in everything that is human and to understand the moral obligations which
inform our common humanity. However, human persons are sufficiently diverse so that we must also
take into account the originality and uniqueness of each person. This means that while everyone shares
certain common features of humanity, each one does so differently and to different degrees.

HUMAN DIGNITY= Person’s possession for basic rights:

-the essential rights to clothing and shelter:

- the right to free self-expression within the context of social cooperation:

- the right to basic equality before the law.

HUMAN DIGNITY = Basic respect of persons

- The respect that will allow them to develop their own potential
- To make some personal contribution to common goals and to feel a home in an environment
within which they are known and acknowledged.

HUMAN DIGNITY = Human being has a personal worth

- The task of society is to acknowledge and develop that worth


- Human dignity= emphasizes that social or biological handicaps affecting an individual do not
lessen his or her personal worth

Human dignity= does not admit degrees and is universal regardless of gender, age, religion, creed, race
or color.

Human dignity= man possessing freedom and reason, therefore cannot be used as an object or as
means for an end.

II. Human dignity according to our Christian Faith

“God created man in his image, in the divine image he created him, male and female, he created them.”
– Gen 1:27

IMPLICATIONS:

Human share in the Divine image of God

- We participate in God’s divine Trinitarian nature and called to belong in the community of the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- We are called to be in communion with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as children of God.

Human are called to live in community

- We are communitarian at our core


- We are called to live as brothers and sisters
- We are called to live in justice and respect/abide the laws of the community.

III. Biblical sources of human Dignity

Old Testament

2. Exodus Story: Exodus 3:4-8

Implications
- God has pity for human suffering, who wishes people to be liberated and so live a life of dignity
- All forms of enslavement and oppression are a mockery of God’s will as creator of humanity in
his own image.
- Human suffering is not the will of God, but rather something which must be abolished
- God’s will is done on earth when the conditions for truly humane existence are created.

2. Story of the Prophets

“wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to
do evil, learn to do good: seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.”
Isaiah 1:15-17

Consequences of the Monarchy

- Power became centralized in the monarchy


- Increasing gap bet. The rich and the poor, as fortunes were amassed in large economic projects
of the monarchy and more and more people became the laboring poor subject to the whims of
political and economic masters.
- This situation gave ample opportunity for the abuse of power and privilege for the elimination of
human rights
- Religion was more centered around the temple cult and its elaborate liturgical and sacrificial
rites, ignoring the moral demands of the covenant.
- For, Isaiah, the sacrificial liturgy could only be authentically offered by those who showed their
fidelity to the covenant by respecting the dignity of the downtrodden and marginalized.
- The abuses of human dignity, in the various forms of exploitation characteristic of the Israelite
state and society were a rejection of the covenant and a betrayal of Israel’s true identity.

Implications

- True worship of Yahweh is to help unburden the poor from their oppression.
- Goods of creation is for the use of everyone, not only for the few
- Power is for the benefit of promoting justice and the common good.

New Testament

1. Gospels
“the spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, and to let the
oppressed go free and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord”
Luke 4:18-19

Jesus anchored the proclamation of the Gospel for the liberation of the poor… (slaves, laborers,
sinners, women, children)
- His proclamation of the kingdom is not about an authoritarian and tyrannical authority
- He draws on the prophetic hopes of a just king who could mediate the justice of God.
- The image of the kingdom of God implies an environment in which good can flourish and in
which every human being can find peace justice and freedom.
- He proclaimed a blessing for those who are deprived:
- Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.
- Blessed are you who are now hungry, for your will be satisfied.
- Blessed are you who are now weeping for you will laugh…” ( Luke 6:20-22)
- He sacrificed his life for our salvation which only shows our worth as children of God.
- The ultimate meaning of human dignity is that all human being are destined for eternal life,
since they share their humanity with the one who rose from the dead.
- All human beings can share in the resurrection of Jesus.

Human rights and Dignity


- Human rights may be defined as those fundamental rights of man essential for the exercise of
human dignity
- The rights are to things powers or priveleges to which individuals have a just claim or are
entitled to under the natural law as a consequence of being human
- They are inalienable patrimony of all irrespective of nationality, color, language or creed.
- They are inviolable in the sense that they cannot be suppressed without moral responsibility.
- Respect for these rights becomes the test whether human dignity is being respected or not.
- Human rights belong to human beings not because any government grant these to them.

Two kinds of Rights:

Natural- rights that human nature confer to the person.

Legal- rights spelled out by positive national international laws.

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