The paper, considering that, in recent years, the concept of dignity is opposed to that of life and frequently combined with the alleged right to assisted suicide, aims to identify the cultural premises of this assumption and to evaluate it in the light of the Constitution. Crucial appear the theories based on the distinction between man and person, such as social Darwinism. In these views the dignity of every human being depends on capacities of autonomy or self-determination. However, the implications are distant from the constitutional axiological framework and risk undermining many human rights and equality. The right to assisted suicide is then only apparently liberal, as it is pretensive and implies the duty to kill. Above all, it presupposes a conception of life that is instrumental for other ends and not itself a basic good and a sufficient reason, because based on a judgment that discriminates according to the quality of life. On the contrary considering the life’s innate dignity is the most democratic of principles. Moreover, there is a very close relationship between this recognition and “equal social dignity”. Hence a norm that prevents to act intentionally against life does not result an unreasonable restriction of freedom and appears to be acceptable even in a moderately neutralist or utilitarian perspective

Sulla sostenibilità della dignità come autodeterminazione / Razzano, Giovanna. - In: BIOLAW JOURNAL. - ISSN 2284-4503. - Special Issue 2/2019:Special Issue 2/2019(2019), pp. 95-111.

Sulla sostenibilità della dignità come autodeterminazione

Giovanna Razzano
2019

Abstract

The paper, considering that, in recent years, the concept of dignity is opposed to that of life and frequently combined with the alleged right to assisted suicide, aims to identify the cultural premises of this assumption and to evaluate it in the light of the Constitution. Crucial appear the theories based on the distinction between man and person, such as social Darwinism. In these views the dignity of every human being depends on capacities of autonomy or self-determination. However, the implications are distant from the constitutional axiological framework and risk undermining many human rights and equality. The right to assisted suicide is then only apparently liberal, as it is pretensive and implies the duty to kill. Above all, it presupposes a conception of life that is instrumental for other ends and not itself a basic good and a sufficient reason, because based on a judgment that discriminates according to the quality of life. On the contrary considering the life’s innate dignity is the most democratic of principles. Moreover, there is a very close relationship between this recognition and “equal social dignity”. Hence a norm that prevents to act intentionally against life does not result an unreasonable restriction of freedom and appears to be acceptable even in a moderately neutralist or utilitarian perspective
2019
Dignity; right to life; self-determination; neutralism; paternalism; assisted suicide debate.
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
Sulla sostenibilità della dignità come autodeterminazione / Razzano, Giovanna. - In: BIOLAW JOURNAL. - ISSN 2284-4503. - Special Issue 2/2019:Special Issue 2/2019(2019), pp. 95-111.
File allegati a questo prodotto
File Dimensione Formato  
Razzano_Sulla-sostenibilità_2019.pdf

accesso aperto

Note: http://rivista.biodiritto.org/ojs/index.php?journal=biolaw&page=index
Tipologia: Versione editoriale (versione pubblicata con il layout dell'editore)
Licenza: Tutti i diritti riservati (All rights reserved)
Dimensione 306.64 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
306.64 kB Adobe PDF

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1341648
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 3
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact