Submitted by Dr. Morbius on
“Wisdom purges our minds of illusion, giving them a substantive dignity while curtailing the sort of dignity that is all empty show.” – Seneca, Letters from a Stoic
Based on this quote one might gather that dignity allows for composure and the ability to act appropriately. It also infers that some kind of knowledge is required in order to sustain such a disposition. Seeing that the text is taken from Seneca’s moral letters, we may conclude that the wisdom he is referring to is grounded in virtue. However, it’s not my wish to play the scholar here, nor give dignity a dignified definition as such, but to shed some light on its nature.
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So where in the world can we begin to make sense of what it means to possess human dignity? How about we begin by drawing upon an event from our past or we can create a new scenario. So you’re walking down the street when you notice two young lovers in a nasty fight. The boy is telling his girlfriend that she’s a slut for the way she behaved around his associates. She claims that she was only trying to be nice to his friends out of courtesy. He continues to belittle her while shouting to the top of his lungs.
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Without analyzing this tale into smithereens, many of us here would probably agree that the man child wasn’t treating his girlfriend with dignity. In fact, we could say that he was acting rather ‘indignantly’ towards her; i.e., he was angered at something that appeared to him as unjust or wrong. On the other hand, perhaps the young man has ‘just cause’ to question his partner, but that doesn’t mean he has the right to be cruel towards her. Like Seneca, we may conclude that ‘excessive vehemence strips dignity away’.
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In light of its origins, dignity seems to be cultivated through virtuous action, as in the result of years and years of character development; of being loyal to our agreements, maintaining transparency & personal integrity, respecting the rights & freedoms of others, doing no harm, remembering to be considerate and kind while remaining true to ourselves, and so forth.
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Dignity grounds the ideals by which we maintain a societal foundation that supports ethical principles conducive to human flourishing. Such principles enable ingenuity and progress without losing sight of our historical context by which we can envision and shape our future. In this spirit, here are the 12 gems that I feel ought to be present in order for dignity to be effective in the world at large.
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Dignity – Respect – Mercy – Transparency – Integrity – Service – Benevolence – Trust – Expertise – Resoluteness – Sincerity – Patience
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My challenge to you is this: Try to find an alternative virtue for each of the 12 gems above. For instance, you may be inclined to use the word ‘compassion’ instead of ‘mercy’, or ‘social justice’ in place of the word ‘dignity’. Either way, please share your response in the comment section.
https://metaphysicaldiscourse.wordpress.com/2021/03/13/dignity-grounds-the-profound/