Human dignity as an essentially contested concept

Abstract

This article argues that the concept of human dignity is better understood as an essentially contested concept. Following Walter Bryce Gallie's original definition of essential contestability in 1956 and the subsequent additions made by several authors over the years, it argues that describing human dignity in such terms helps to explain not only the theoretical disagreements about the concept, but also its current place within the international legal regime. The essentially contested concept framework is therefore not only accurate in describing the global phenomenon of human dignity (the latter fulfilling the seven criteria set out by Gallie regarding this framework), but also useful in doing so. The article concludes that for human dignity to properly perform its supposed function, it needs to become ‘decontested’, something that can only happen following the recognition of its theoretical structure.

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