Dimensions of Dignity : The Moral Importance of Being Human

Is membership of our species important in itself, or is it just important to have the properties that a normal grown-up human being has? A value subjectivist may argue for a special human value proceeding from the assumption that most of us believe or sense that being human is something important <em>per se </em>and independently of, for instance, those properties that form the basis of personhood. This allows <em>all</em> human beings to have a share in this value. Other attempts to defend a principle of human dignity fail in this respect and are criticized in this book. The book is intended for philosophers with a general interest in moral philosophy or ethics, and more specifically axiological, animal and medical ethics.