Human dignity and discourse

Abstract

    Human dignity and discourse are two elements that play extremely important roles in contemporary bioethics. However, the concept of “human dignity” is often criticized for being too vague. This paper focuses on human dignity from the discourse ethics perspective, which considers discourse as a key element of ethics, and attempts to redefine the concept of “human dignity.” Mathias Kettner believes that human dignity is originally a vague concept whose content must be determined through social discourse. Uwe Fahr, in contrast, interprets it as a heuristic instrument for clarifying the interests of those involved in case discussions. Based on these arguments, this paper will indicate that consensus reached through discourse is probable at a clinical level as well as at a social level and that consensus at a clinical level presupposes a certain quality of human dignity, which cannot be formulated as a principle and is known only through sensitivity.