Human Dignity (Elements in the Philosophy of Immanuel Kant) - Softcover

Sensen, Oliver

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1108438601 ISBN 13: 9781108438605

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2026

Synopsis

What is human dignity? Kant's philosophy is a central inspiration for our contemporary conception that all human beings deserve respect– independently of their race, gender, religion, or social status. In this Element, I shall address four topics in Kant's moral philosophy: What specifically does one have to do (or refrain from doing) to respect a human being? What is the reason why one should respect human beings? What is dignity, that is, what does the term mean, and what kind of thing is it? Finally, in a short appendix, I shall address the questions: Do only human beings deserve respect; how could one extend it to nonhuman animals as well? In each section, I shall offer a range of different interpretations of how one can read Kant's texts, and I shall address their advantages and disadvantages. This gives readers the option to choose for themselves which reading is the most plausible interpretation of human dignity.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1108438601
• ISBN 13: 9781108438605
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 72