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Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Advance Access originally published online on April 22, 2009
Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 2009 34(3):223-240; doi:10.1093/jmp/jhp023
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Human Dignity and Human Rights as a Common Ground for a Global Bioethics

Roberto Andorno

University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

Address correspondence to: Roberto Andorno, Institute of Biomedical Ethics, School of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 115, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland. E-mail: andorno{at}ethik.uzh.ch


  Abstract

The principle of respect for human dignity plays a crucial role in the emerging global norms relating to bioethics, in particular in the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights. This instrument, which is a legal, not merely an ethical document, can be regarded as an extension of international human rights law into the field of biomedicine. Although the Declaration does not explicitly define human dignity, it would be a mistake to see the emphasis put on this notion as a mere rhetorical strategy. Rather, the appeal to dignity reflects a real concern about the need to promote respect both for the intrinsic worth of human beings and for the integrity of the human species. But dignity alone cannot solve most of the dilemmas posed by biomedical practice. This is why international biolaw combines, on the one hand, the appeal to human dignity as an overarching principle with, on the other hand, the recourse to human rights, which provide an effective and practical way forward for dealing with bioethical issues at a global level.

Keywords: global bioethics, human dignity, human rights, international law, UNESCO


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