Moral Principle of Human Dignity
Definition
Every moral decision must treat all human beings as persons, concerned with the spiritual and physical dimensions of human nature and attendant to the inherent worth of every individual life.
Explanation
This is among the most fundamental principles derived from the moral law. Many theologians consider it self-evident. The dignity of the human person is taught in both natural law and divine law. Natural law tells us that human beings are unique in their spiritual faculties. The fact that these faculties are spiritual gave Greek philosophers a sense of the value of the human person above all other creatures. Divine law tells us that God made each human person to love and be loved. Jesus Christ died for all of us. We are special because we are loved.
The most succinct statement of this principle is, “We are persons to be loved, not things to be used.”
Applications
- Human life is sacred from conception to natural death, therefore abortion and euthanasia are both morally evil.
- Technology must serve the spiritual as well as the physical needs of human persons.
- Human reproduction must not manipulate the person as if he or she were a machine – there are moral problems with invitro fertilization, artificial ensemination, cloning, etc. for this reason.
- Solutions to social problems such as poverty must preserve the freedom and dignity of the people they are meant to serve.