Avishai Margalit’s Concept of Human Dignity : A Critical Review of the Decent Society

相原 博, AIHARA Hiroshi

doi:10.15002/00021875

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Other Title

『良識ある社会』における人間の尊厳とは何か : マルガリートの構想の検討
『リョウシキアルシャカイ』ニオケルニンゲンノソンゲントワナニカ : マルガリートノコウソウノケントウ

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Description

Margalit clarified the importance of self-respect being uninjured for a human being by connecting human dignity with self-respect. According to Margalit, we should not injure a person’s self-respect, that is, we should never humiliate a person. Certainly this view affected the studies on human dignity in Germany. But thinking about human dignity without considering the social institutions, such as Ralf Stoecker does as applied moral philosopher, is in danger of failing to grasp the purpose of the Decent Society. Rather, what we should evaluate is that Margalit gave the idea dealing with human dignity in political philosophy and social theory. However, we must be careful about considering the society, which does not violate human dignity, as decent one. When the decent society does not yet come about, and the institutions humiliate people routinely, the violation of human dignity would be an everyday matter. This causes an abuse of the concept of human dignity, and lowers the value of this concept.

Journal

法政哲学

法政哲学 15 1-12, 2019-03-30

法政哲学会