Abstract
This article traces the history of the concept of dignity in Western thought, arguing that it became a formal Catholic theological concept only in the late nineteenth century. Three uses of the word are distinguished: intrinsic, attributed, and inflorescent dignity, of which, it is argued, the intrinsic conception is foundational. The moral norms associated with respect for intrinsic dignity are discussed briefly. The scriptural and theological bases for adopting the concept of dignity as a Christian idea are elucidated. The article concludes by discussing the relevance of this concept of dignity to the spiritual and ethical care of the dying.
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Notes
This article draws on ideas first presented in my essay, “More than Sparrows, Less than the Angels: The Christian Meaning of Death with Dignity” (2009).
For a more complete treatment of the moral implications of recognizing intrinsic dignity, see Sulmasy, “Death, Dignity, and the Theory of Value,” (2002).
Given the focus of this article, the complete argument that leads from respect for intrinsic dignity to a prohibition on euthanasia cannot be described in detail here. A fuller account is given in Sulmasy, “Death, Dignity, and the Theory of Value,” (2002).
For a detailed history of this tradition, see Cronin (1989).
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Sulmasy, D.P. Death and dignity in Catholic Christian thought. Med Health Care and Philos 20, 537–543 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11019-016-9690-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11019-016-9690-9