One of the special features of human dignity as a popular normative idea is its under-theorization. One common refrain about human dignity is that “I know it when I see it even if I cannot tell you what it is.” On reflection, this is quite peculiar. It’s hard to imagine anyone using such a refrain to describe other fundamental normative ideas, such as justice, freedom, and equality. In this presentation my aim will be to diagnose some of the reasons for this peculiarity. My suggestion will be that the reasons for this lie partly in reasonable efforts to preserve the broad acceptability of human dignity as a concept in political morality and law (including human rights law). Despite this, I will argue that appeals to the self-evidence of human dignity and its requirements should be treated with more skepticism than they often are.
