The Confucian Argument for Equal Human Dignity

Abstract

Human dignity is a crucial concept in contemporary ethical, political and legal studies. Protecting human dignity is a core value in modern human life. However, people have different, even opposite understandings of human dignity, which has caused lots of confusion in related discourses. The Confucian notion of human dignity provides an important perspective for reflecting various theories of human dignity. In Confucian ethics, the basis of human dignity is the moral potential that every human being naturally has. Moral potential grants everyone universal dignity, while the development of moral potential grants people acquired dignity. Since all human beings have moral potential to the same extent, everyone owns universal dignity equally. Different people develop their moral potential to different extents. One’s acquired dignity is positively associated with the development of her moral potential. Universal dignity is a moral status but acquired dignity is not. To pursue acquired dignity is the moral demand of universal dignity and protects people’s universal dignity. Confucian discussions on human dignity provide a promising way to justify the equality of human moral status, also, it reveals why the equality of humanity relies on the integrity of the human species. The Confucian concept of human dignity constitute a reliable theoretical basis for coping with ethical issues caused by technologies today.