Abstract

POGGE, Thomas. Dignity and Global Justice. Diánoia [online]. 2011, vol.56, n.67, pp.3-12. ISSN 0185-2450.

With strong resonance across cultures, the word "dignity" has become increasingly prominent in international law and in discussions of global justice. It is used in two distinct but closely related senses. In one sense, dignity is a high worth which all human beings possess as human beings and which commands that they be treated with respect and consideration. In another sense, dignity is a characteristic of human lives that, for many, remains yet to be achieved. Because human beings have dignity in the first sense, it is imperative to enable them to lead a life with dignity. This paper explicates the two related senses of "dignity" and explores how they can inform and support a conception of global justice and efforts at its realization.

Keywords : human rights; humiliation; poverty; subordination; dignity; global order.