Final, yet not so final, thoughts

Over the course of this semester I, along with my 20 classmates, dove deep into the topic of human dignity. We were forced, but rightly so, to explore theorists' perspectives of dignity, violations of human dignity, examples of dignity upheld, and many controversial situations in which the concept dignity could be applied.  We read Kant, Kateb, and Singer.  We discussed dignity as it pertains to healthcare, prison systems, and the media.  We debated over whether dignity was innate or gained or whether or not dignity could be lost or gained.  A group of my classmates underwent a project called “Post-It Proud” to improve other’s self dignity, and the rest of my class also participated in human dignity projects.  It seems a lot to do in a semester and I know I did not even mention everything out course consisted of.  I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in such empowering, fascinating, and intellectual colloquium about Human Dignity.  So what did I learn?

Most importantly I learned that dignity is dignity- no matter what situation dignity is applied to.  As the semester continued and we were asked to blog about certain issues and how dignity pertained to them I struggled with coming up with new things to write about.  I was always drawn back to the idea that every human deserves dignity.   Every human is unique and all humans should be treated equally.  I definitely think Kateb said it best when he said, “the truth of personal identity is at stake when any individual is treated as if he or she is not a human being like any other, and therefore treated as more or less human. [An individual should be treated] as if he or she is just one more human being in a species, and not, instead, a unique individual who is irreplaceable and not exchangeable for another.”  We are all unique and different and, especially when it comes to dignity, no human should be treated as any more or any less human.  Whether or not you live in a culture with unique traditions different than traditions of other cultures, whether you are a famous actor or sports figure, whether you have a mental illness or life threatening disease, whether you have money or you are struggling to find income, whether you are a prisoner or a victim of a crime- you are still a human.  You still deserve dignity.

I titled this entry final, yet not so final, thoughts because while it is technically my last blog entry for the class, there is no way these are my last thoughts regarding human dignity.  While i learned that dignity is dignity, i also learned that people's dignity is violated everyday.  Everyday people are treated as if he or she is more or less human than others.  I know I am not perfect, and I know that no one is perfect; however I also know that if we all become more conscientious in the way we treat others we could make a difference.  It may just be a little at a time, but if we developed insights and mindsets that all humans are equal and should be treated the same the world could become a more dignified place.