Abstract

What do we mean when we talk about human dignity? Going beyond the classical legal definitions (dignity as a principle or as a value), I try to link this ambiguous concept to the human condition, arguing that it arises in relational contexts where human beings recognize each other. Looking to some philosophical modern contributes (Nedelsky, Malpas), I assume the centrality of the human relationships in constituting personal identities. Every Self constitutes his/her identity recognizing (and being recognized by) other Selves inside a relational context. This reciprocal recognition determines dignity because to experience relationships means to experience human dignity.