Trucanini''s Stare - Reconsidering Dignity in Theory and Practice

"Human dignity is a central concept in international human rights law and many national constitutions, as well as in philosophy and legal theory. This book offers a new account of dignity and its history which fundamentally challenges established approaches, and prompts fresh thinking about the concept's past, present and future. "--

List of contents

1. Introduction; 2. The idea of Human dignity; 3. Regarding Trucanini's dignity; 4. Ghandi and the 'Undignified' Loincloth; 5. Dignity and Indignity in the South African toilet wars; 6. Conclusion: Dignity and its outsiders.

About the author

Susan Marks is a Professor in the School of Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science, focusing on international law and human rights. She is the author of publications that include The Riddle of All Constitutions, International Human Rights Lexicon (co-written with Andrew Clapham, 2005) and A False Tree of Liberty (2019), and edited International Law on the Left (2008).

Summary

A central concept in international human rights law and many national constitutions is human dignity. Departing from established approaches to dignity in philosophy and legal theory, Susan Marks takes dignity in everyday life ('dignified care', 'dignity in the workplace', etc.) as a starting point for reconsidering the concept's history and significance. The result is a highly original work which gives particular attention to colonial and post-colonial engagements with dignity, and emphasises the character of human dignity as not just an idea or abstract value, but also a lived experience that cannot be understood without reference to social structures and the inequalities and hierarchies they reproduce. If dignity is an attribute which all human beings possess purely by virtue of being human, Marks shows that it is also an element within the systemic operations of privilege and power.

Foreword

Offers a new account of dignity and its history which challenges established approaches to this key concept in human rights.

Product details

• Authors: Susan Marks, Susan (London School of Economics and Polit Marks, Susan (London School of Economics and Political Science) Marks, Marks Susan
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.01.2025
• EAN: 9781009543231
• ISBN: 978-1-0-0954323-1
• No. of pages: 178
• Series: Hersch Lauterpacht Memorial Lectures
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Philosophy > General, dictionaries; Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Miscellaneous; Social sciences, law, business > Law > International law, foreign law; Human Rights, PHILOSOPHY / Social, PHILOSOPHY / Political, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Human Rights, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology / General, LAW / International, LAW / Public, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Civil Rights, Social & political philosophy, social and political philosophy, Civil rights & citizenship, Human rights, civil rights, Public international law: human rights, International human rights law, Law & society, Law and society, sociology of law