论人的尊严:一种政治学的分析

Human Dignity: A Political Analysis

人的尊严是人文社会科学的基本概念,也是人的最高价值和基本权利。本文首先回顾了从传统尊严观转为现代尊严观的简要历史,分析了传统尊严观与现代尊严观的主要区别,然后着重从价值、权利和制度三个维度对'人的尊严'作了全面深入的分析。作者认为,对人的尊严的认识,集中表明了人类对自身价值和命运的认识;人类在维护自身尊严方面所取得的成就,集中反映了人类文明的深刻进步。认识到人的尊严,是与生俱来的人的内在价值,是人类自身认识史上的重大飞跃;把人的尊严视为人权的'第一原则',并在宪法和法律中加以明确的规定,是人类政治发展史特别是人权历史的重大突破。不再依赖任何形式的'救世主',而是依靠人类自己,并通过具体的政治、经济和社会制度,来维护和保障人的基本权利,进而维护人的尊严,是人类终于找到的、实现自我解放的唯一正确道路。

Human dignity is not only one of the fundamental concepts in the humanities and political philosophy,but also the supreme value and basic right of human beings.The article gives a brief historical review of human dignity;from its traditional notion to its modern one.It also distinguishes the main difference between the traditional and the modern notions of human dignity.It then analyses human dignity via three perspectives:as a value,a right and an institution.The author argues that the knowledge of human dignity that mankind has achieved is a concentrated reflection of human knowledge of human beings themselves,and the progress the mankind has made in human dignity is a concentrated reflection of progress in human civilization.It was a leap in history of human epistemology to recognize human dignity to be the inherent value of human beings by nature and abreakthrough in history of human political progress to regard human dignity to be the'first principle'of human rights which is stipulated in constitutions and laws.