ABSTRACT
The concept of human dignity has a long and varied history. It was used in ancient Rome to refer to individuals of high social status. Christian commentators have used the term to refer to the special relationship between humans and God. In the realm of human rights, it refers to the inherent worth of humans and serves as foundation for human rights. And in common parlance, it can be used to describe poise and virtuous conduct. Concerns for human dignity have been a central focus of debates about the propriety
of various biotechnologies and related activities such as human cloning and the patenting of human genetic material. The term has also been frequently used as primary rationale for policy action. Despite this, a concrete definition of the term remains elusive, and contested views of its normative relevance to science policy abound. This chapter explores and critiques the use of human dignity as a justification for a
variety of biotechnology policies and positions, and provides a comprehensive account of ongoing debates about the role of human dignity in assessing and regulating emerging biotechnologies.
