Juan Carlos Riofrio Martinez-Villalba (Catholic University of America (CUA); Strathmore University; Universidad de Los Hemisferios; Pontificia Università della Santa Croce) has posted A Crescent Human Dignity on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
This article explores the complex and often ambiguous notion of human dignity by distinguishing its essence, objective justification, and subjective foundation. Drawing upon historical, philosophical, legal, and theological traditions—from Cicero and Kant to the recent declaration Dignitas Infinita—the paper argues that it is insufficient to ground dignity in the salient bodily features of the human being, or in one’s autonomy, status, or achievements. Instead, dignity can be objectively rooted in a plurality of elements: shared human nature, moral capacity, personal history, social conditions, and, above all, the relational and spiritual dimensions of each person. Therefore, dignity is both universal and capable of increase.
Regarding the subjective foundation of dignity, this study observes that dignity requires not only an intrinsic value in the human person but also the presence of a subject who recognises, esteems, and responds to that value with care. Dignity cannot subsist in isolation; it presupposes at least one who sees the other as an end in himself. While friends, family, and institutions may partially fulfil this role, their care is limited by time, knowledge, and imperfection. Ultimately, the study contends that only a divine subject—eternal, omniscient, and loving— can provide the complete and enduring recognition that fully sustains human dignity.