Human Dignity as the Foundation of Ethics and Rights
Human Dignity
According to Kant, what characterizes a human being from a moral perspective is their dignity. It undermines those who use a human being merely as a means or a tool. A person must always be treated as an end in themselves. They have value but are priceless; therefore, they cannot be bought. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 states: “freedom, justice, and peace are universally desirable values, which depend on recognition of the inherent dignity… of all members of the human family.”
Human dignity is not a scientific fact. It does not belong to the vocabulary of science. Deducing its origin is a problem yet to be solved. Many philosophers claim to derive human freedom or rights from reality, but describing reality does not automatically yield plausible rules. The most justifiable source is a particular act of intelligence and reason: the act of asserting the dignity of every human being as a foundational principle, and being prepared to act accordingly.
Project: Ethics of Humanity
Thanks to our intelligence, we have been able to realize our desires through a way of life encompassing individual rights, rejection of discrimination, etc. We cannot agree on a subjective idea of happiness, on what would actually make everyone happy. However, we can agree on an objective idea of happiness, meaning a way to live and interact with others, affirming values that enhance our ability to lead a righteous life. Objective happiness does not ensure subjective happiness, but it represents the most desirable way of life, offering more possibilities to fulfill our life plans.
The foundation for the model we seek is the affirmation of the dignity of all human beings, simply by virtue of their existence. It is the basic axiom we must accept and defend. This fundamental axiom of ethics is material; it has content because it aims to improve the lives of concrete human beings. Actions shape collective ethics, drawing on humanity’s lessons. But building it begins by stating the necessary foundation for the stability and firmness of the person. Dignity is the intrinsic value of a person, simply by being a person, regardless of other characteristics. It consists of the possession of rights. This is the ethical project’s foundational act: recognizing dignity as the source of rights. Everything else follows from this.
Evidence and Error
Evidence, what seems clear to us, unfortunately, cannot always be trusted. We have all experienced error. Therefore, it is crucial to measure the strength of evidence. Ethics involves the most terrible and most glorious aspects of human beings. We know the necessity of distinguishing truth from falsehood to avoid tragedy. When fundamental values like peace, freedom, equality, or justice are at stake, it is very serious that some claim we cannot agree on developing ethical principles valid for all humanity.
True, some cases are violently contested, but often the disagreement is not on the fundamentals, but on how to implement accepted principles. These are undoubtedly challenging ethical problems, but they should not obscure the fact that in many other areas, we possess ethical theories strong enough to be considered universally valuable. For centuries, the criteria for truth have been studied more deeply in science than in ethics. This is why many people think that personal consciousness—personal evidence—is the ultimate judge of morality. This is not so: strict criteria exist.
The Origin of Morals
Morals are complex systems with a long history and varied influences. We can consider them the result of social intelligence. That is, they spring from the interaction of personal intelligences. Each person has a private project of happiness that must be coordinated with others. From this interaction, forms of conflict resolution arise spontaneously.
Not all members of a society exert the same influence. It is easy to see the influence of proactive individuals. Social movements claiming rights have also played a significant role. At the heart of this process is the tireless human pursuit of happiness. We each have our own idea of happiness, but basic desires are universal. Humans seek pleasure. Our drive to expand possibilities is regulated by the need for social recognition.