A Theory of Dignity

Abstract This chapter opens by critiquing the dominant philosophical approach to dignity, which has its origins in Kant, on the grounds that it excludes vulnerable individuals, and cannot account for the phenomenon of lost or damaged dignity. It then lays out the central theoretical framework that informs the remainder of the book. This framework involves three distinct strands of dignity: personal dignity; social dignity; and status dignity. The strands emerge from distinguishing between self-respect and the respect of others, on the one hand, and recognition respect and appraisal respect, on the other.