Human Dignity and Law

This book develops an original revisionist understanding of human dignity. Under this understanding, dignity does not exist prior to or independently of law. Human dignity should be analyzed as a value which lies at the intersection of morality, law and politics. This valuable approach challenges established dogmas and establishes the significance of law as a value-sustaining institution. Alon Harel, Mizock Professor of Law, The Hebrew University Law Faculty and the Federmann Center for the Study of Rationality In place of conceptions of human dignity that suffer from normative indeterminacy, regulative redundancy, or constitutive incoherence, Stephen Riley elaborates an account that focuses on the basic status of humans and their entitlements in a network of obligations that ranges across law, politics, morals, and justice. This is a truly impressive work, beautifully written and compellingly argued. Roger Brownsword, King's College London and Bournemouth University This book develops an original revisionist understanding of human dignity. Under this understanding, dignity does not exist prior to or independently of law. Human dignity should be analyzed as a value which lies at the intersection of morality, law and politics. This valuable approach challenges established dogmas and establishes the significance of law as a value-sustaining institution. Alon Harel, Mizock Professor of Law, The Hebrew University Law Faculty and the Federmann Center for the Study of Rationality In place of conceptions of human dignity that suffer from normative indeterminacy, regulative redundancy, or constitutive incoherence, Stephen Riley elaborates an account that focuses on the basic status of humans and their entitlements in a network of obligations that ranges across law, politics, morals, and justice. This is a truly impressive work, beautifully written and compellingly argued. Roger Brownsword (King's College London and Bournemouth University)