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Human Dignity
European ChristianChristian Political Youth Network ‘Human Dignity’ Political Working Group SessionZwolle, October 3, 2009
Jonathan van Tongeren
Human Dignity?
What is human dignity? And how is it relevant?
The Dignity of the Human Person in Christian Social Ethics (1) Regime
Regime, politeia (Plato, Aristotle), culture impacts on moral ethics including that of Christians
Regime is the whole moral and social order, style of life, form of government, spirit of laws
Influence on lives of individuals, only to be withstood by informed, committed Christians
The Dignity of the Human Person in Christian Social Ethics (2) Christianity
Christianity > regime not as decisive in lives of individuals, God’s Word and grace can be received even in the midst of bad regime
Yet many Christians unduly influenced by regime (i.e. culture or social conditions)
Liberalism and liberal democracy inclined citizens to think of morality in terms of rights or subjective values, which leads to fixation on choice and autonomy
The Dignity of the Human Person in Christian Social Ethics (3) Liberalism
Liberal temper not neutral, supposedly openness to all human possibilities, but…
Liberal regimes dispose citizens to have incomplete understanding of human dignity
Persons are said to have dignity, because they are autonomous and capable of making choices, thus dignity is ensured by protection of rights
The Dignity of the Human Person in Christian Social Ethics (4) Liberalism
Emphasis on rights is logical, because free exercise of autonomy requires possession of rights
Linking dignity to quality of life, capacity to make autonomous choices
Thus dignity diminishes with declining quality of life, increase of suffering = decrease of dignity
The Dignity of the Human Person in Christian Social Ethics (5) Liberalism
“The state’s interest lessens as the potential for life diminishes.” Second Circuit Court of Appeals, Quill v. Vacco (1997)
There is a trend to regard persons with diminished physical capacity as less than fully human
Liberal understanding of human dignity is a big challenge to Christian understanding and Christian Social Teaching
The Dignity of the Human Person in Christian Social Ethics (6)
Education needed for Christians to understand that dignity is not constituted by ability to make choices
People have dignity because created in image and likeness of God, redeemed by Jesus Christ and destined for eternal life in communion with God
“The principal cause of human dignity lies in the call of human beings to communion with God” Vatican Council II
The Dignity of the Human Person in Christian Social Ethics (7)
No one can remove this foundation, not even when people commit crimes or suffer diminished physical, mental or spiritual capacities
But human dignity is not only this permanent basic dignity
It is also a goal and achievement Dignity can be achieved by
seeking the truth, resisting sin, practicing virtue and repenting
The Dignity of the Human Person in Christian Social Ethics (8)
Dignity is connected with truth “Christian, recognize your dignity
and now that you share in God’s own nature do not return by sin to your former base condition!” Leo the Great, first sentence chapter on morality, Catechism of the Catholic Church
Achieving dignity by living without sin
“…man achieves [the dignity to which he is called] when emancipating himself from all captivity to passion, he pursues his goal in a spontaneous choice of what is good, and procures for himself through effective and skilful action, apt means to that end. Since man’s freedom has been damaged by sin, only by the help of God’s grace can he bring such a relationship with God to full flower.” Gaudium et spes
Human Dignity and the Legislation Process
The (Christian understanding of) human dignity is relevant in a wide range of political decisions regarding for example: freedom of conscience, education, health care, youth and family policy.
Current political issues
EU ‘Equal Treatment Directive’ (churches, schools, adoption agencies, other organisations)
CoE ‘Fifteen Years Since the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action’ (abortion as a means of family planning and population controll)
European Commission’s Annual Budget for Overseas Development (coercive abortion and involuntary sterilisation)
