Human Dignity and Bioethics

19
Human Dignity and the
Seriously Ill Patient
Rebecca Dresser
R
especting human dignity is a central moral and social aim when
it comes to either health policy or everyday medical care. Yet
like other important concepts, such as “happiness” 1 and “fairness,”
the meaning of dignity can be difficult to pinpoint.
At the same time, one attraction of the dignity concept is that it
lacks a settled interpretation. Elasticity in the definition of dignity
creates the possibility for rich and diverse scholarship about the concept,
such as the essays in this volume. As the essays illustrate, writers
may examine the meaning of dignity from a variety of vantage points.
They may explore the concept from a broad, comprehensive perspective,
or consider dignity in a single context. They may approach the
concept from a historical, religious, biological, or humanistic vantage
point. They may consider dignity at the abstract level, or apply it to
individual cases. They may describe dignity, defend it, or criticize it.
Many of the writers in this volume consider questions related
to the proper subjects of human dignity. Should we extend dignity
to humans in the early stages of development? Should we extend
it to potential future beings with enhanced, “superhuman” features?
Should we extend it to certain nonhuman animals or intelligent
machines? And how can we defend the idea that humans are owed
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