Bioethics debate must tie human dignity to other values, says expert

Published: 2005-12-12

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The concept of human dignity needs to be tied to other moral values such as justice if it is to influence social behavior and public policy, said Paul Weithman, philosophy department chairman at the University of Notre Dame. A person's rights and his dignity are not always the same or weighed equally, he said Dec. 9 at a meeting in Washington of the President's Council on Bioethics. He was invited to speak on "human dignity as a bioethical concept." The council advises President George W. Bush on bioethical issues. Dr. Edmund Pellegrino, a physician and longtime leader in developing bioethical standards based on Catholic values, is chairman of the council. "Human dignity resonates with many of the moral traditions that shape us," Weithman said, but noted that people differ in how they apply the concept. Both sides in the physician-assisted suicide debate cite human dignity as a reason for their position, said Weithman, who has written articles opposing the legalization of assisted suicide.

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