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Theories Of Human Dignity

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Question of the research. In the researches of Lithuanian scholars, the human dignity is more frequently analysed from the juridical, theological, educological and philosophical points of view. Venckienė (2005, 2008), Vaišvila (2004, 2005), Jovaiša (2001), Kairienė (2010), Peičius (2000), Meškauskienė (2002, 2005), Virbalienė (2006), Mockus (2006), Virbalienė, Žydžiūnaitė (2010), and foreign researchers such as Chaskalson (2002), Lobato (2001), Dicke (2002), Meyer (2002), Donnely J. (2009) in their researches state the complexity of human dignity as a phenomenon. The notion of dignity in social work studies is similar to its perception in law studies. In the practice of social work, it is more frequent to write about the factors of human dignity …show more content…

A person’s worth is a specific power or ability to accomplish his aims; this skill is usually called worthiness (Hobbes, 1999). Hobbes considers that the dignity itself is not worthiness, but it results from worthiness. Thus, a person’s worthiness is a natural skill to accomplish his duties that are meaningful for the society in an appropriate way. By fulfilling his duties and giving sense to his activities, a person starts to feel his worth and understands himself as a dignified member of the society (Lobato, 2001, Statman, 2002, Donnely, 2009, Virbalienė, Žydžiūnaitė, 2010). Many researchers are now speaking about different crisis of values that have a negative impact on one’s feeling of dignity. Despite of that, today the biggest crisis of values are caused by the impossibility to understand one’s own worth. (Venckienė, 2008). Due to that, dignity as person’s worthiness derives from a person’s ability to live properly in a society. It is yet difficult to define the concept of living properly in a postmodern society as the postmodern world had transformed subject’s identity to an object of consumption. Therefore, if one wants to become an active unit in today’s society, he is obliged to consume (Bauman, 2007). Having this in mind we see that the lowest class had become worthless in a postmodern society: the members of this class are not capable of creating no added value and so they are not included in the circles of investments and marketplaces. The above mentioned reasons influence the situation that the members of higher social classes are more appreciated (Baudrillard, 2010, Bauman, 2007). Thus, this rapid change in social life and a gap between social classes influenced the formation of social exclusion. Furthermore, in our societies we confront with an unequal repartition of power and wealth that is created by the system itself, as well as with

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The act of ownership has the power to completely take over one’s sense of self and identity. More specifically, in today’s society, people have become so consumed with wanting to own certain tangible and intangible aspects in order to portray themselves in their desired persona. This idea of ownership can truly be seen in the materialistic behaviors within the majority of the society. Many people seek and pursue a happiness they believe can be found in success, prosperity, and luxury which is most often portrayed through the possession of high-end and superior goods. The ownership of these tangible objects creates a sense of feeling wealthy and triumph over others.

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Very few books in the history of economic thought still render an accurate portrayal of society today. Written 115 years ago, Thorstein Veblen’s The Theory of the Social Class (1899) describes a materialistic society obsessed with reputation and social status, echoing a portrayal of the modern capitalistic consumer culture that defines us today. As Roger Mason (1998), professor of consumer theory states: “Consuming for status has, in fact, become a defining element of the new consumer societies” (p.vii). In his treatise, Veblen’s discusses such a society, in order to portray the ‘leisure class’, the 19th century society that characterized the upper class that formed as a consequence of the Second Industrial Revolution. Such a society uses the consumption of goods and leisure as means of climbing up the social ladder.

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Further, the principle of subsidiarity should be applied in the social work practices with the most affected members of the society. The central aspect of subsidiarity is the recognition of human dignity and every subject’s indisputable worthiness. Having this in mind, a social worker should consider his client as a human being in his totality (Petružytė, Girdzijauskienė, Gvaldaitė, 2004). If one follows this principle, he does not affect the dignity in the helping process; when the dignity is already affected or violated, he helps to restore it. Every individual feels a necessity for fulfilment and happiness – these are the main aspirations; all the rest of necessities are circumstanced by this aspiration (Vittadini, 1997).

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