Breaking Ranks

Dignity is not negotiable.

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Books
    • All Rise
    • Belonging: A Memoir
    • Dignity for All: How to Create a World without Rankism
    • Genomes, Menomes, Wenomes: Neuroscience and Human Dignity
    • Mathematics of Classical and Quantum Physics (Dover Books on Physics)
    • Questions & Quests
    • Religion and Science: A Beautiful Friendship?
    • The Rowan Tree
    • The Theory of Everybody
    • The Wisdom of Science: Science in Sound Bites
    • Theo the White Squirrel
  • Press Coverage
  • TV and Radio
  • Art and Music
  • Contact Us

Dignity

Dignity: A Universal Right

The U. S. Declaration of Independence asserts that “all men are created equal.” Many have struggled with the meaning of that phrase, because it’s obvious that we are unequal in lots of ways, for example, health, wealth, looks, talents, skills, etc. But, our differences need not be an excuse for invidious comparisons, let alone for humiliation and indignity. On the contrary, our differences are an important source of the delight we take in each other.

The Declaration of Independence tasked the nation not only with protecting life and liberty but also with providing fairness and
justice. While people are equal not in their endowments or attainments, they are equal in dignity and must be treated so. What would such a dignitarian society look like?


1. adj. a condition in which the dignity of all people is honored and protected
2. n. a person who advocates for a dignitarian society, one whose conduct and attitudes are dignitarian


Each of us has an innate sense that we have the same inherent worth as anyone else. Every religion teaches us so. We experience this as a birthright – a cosmic fact that cannot be undone by any person, circumstance, institution, or government.

That is why rankism is experienced on the deepest level as an affront to dignity. Like any animal vulnerable to being preyed upon, we're supersensitive to threats to our well-being. We're alert to subtle attempts to determine our relative strength, from “innocent” opening lines such as “Who are you with?” to more probing queries regarding our ancestry or education.

In proclaiming a right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” the Declaration of Independence touched on making dignity a fundamental right. Liberty means freedom from arbitrary or despotic government or control. Therefore, the right to liberty, by militating against rankism, affords a large measure of protection to our dignity. Likewise the right to pursue happiness is meaningless in the absence of the dignity inherent in full and equal citizenship.

Given the remarkable achievements of the identity-based liberation movements, it's not unrealistic to imagine a day when everyone's equal dignity will be as self-evident as everyone's right to own property or to vote.

< Rankism: A Social Disorder | Dignitarian Society >

 

Latest Release

Latest Release

Connect with Robert W Fuller:

Follow by Email
Facebook
Twitter
Follow Me
YouTube

Dignity Tour

  • Rankism: A Social Disorder
  • Dignity: A Universal Human Right
  • Modeling a Dignitarian Society
  • 20 Ways to Combat Rankism
  • Robert W. Fuller’s Articles
  • What the Future Holds

Robert W. Fuller

Robert W. Fuller named the problem of rankism in Somebodies and Nobodies and described how societies can promote universal dignity in All Rise. With Pamela A. Gerloff he co-wrote Dignity for All - a handbook for the Dignity Movement. His most recent books are Religion and Science: A Beautiful Friendship?, Genomes, Menomes, Wenomes: Neuroscience and Human Dignity, Belonging: A Memoir, The Rowan Tree: A Novel, The Wisdom of Science, and The Theory of Everybody.

Robert W. Fuller @ Wikipedia

Dignity Movement Resources

  • ACLU Action Alerts
  • AlterNet.org
  • Change.org
  • Charter for Compassion
  • Dignity @ Facebook
  • Good Men Project
  • Human Rights
  • Media Matters
  • Moms Rising
  • MoveOn.org
  • Now Action Alerts
  • Restorative Justice
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Generate Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkRead more