The Cambridge handbook of human dignity

"This introduction to human dignity explores the history of the notion from antiquity to the nineteenth century, and the way in which dignity is conceptualised in non-Western contexts. Building on this, it addresses a range of systematic conceptualisations, considers the theoretical and legal conditions for human dignity as a useful notion and analyses a number of philosophical and conceptual approaches to dignity. Finally, the book introduces current debates, paying particular attention to the legal implementation, human rights, justice and conflicts, medicine and bioethics, and provides an explicit systematic framework for discussing human dignity. Adopting a wide range of perspectives and taking into account numerous cultures and contexts, this handbook is a valuable resource for students, scholars and professionals working in philosophy, law, history and theology"-- "Human Dignity was established in 1948 as the foundational concept of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The Preamble to the Declaration opens with the statement: 'Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation o