Reflection dignity in confucian and Buddhist thought

"Dignity" in the Western tradition typically connotes the inherent and unearned worth that entitles each person to respectful attitudes and treatment. Confucian and Buddhist thought contains concepts that overlap with this concept, making possible a three-way dialogue. Confucianism forthrightly asserts the special value of the individual, but that special value lies in one's capacities to connect with others and to create a truly worthwhile life of relationships. Correspondingly, if one fails to develop these capacities, one may lose one's dignity. A possible basis in Buddhism for human dignity lies in the distinctively human capability for "awakening." However, this capability involves realizing that one's individuality is not as real or as important as one thought it was, and that this is the key to being free from the suffering that any being, human or animal, should be free from.

Duke Scholars

Author David B. Wong Philosophy