Abstract
The concept of human dignity has acquired renewed philosophical significance in the light of rapid developments in biotechnology, genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, reproductive medicine and end-of-life care. While such scientific innovations offer unprecedented benefits, they can provoke reductive interpretations of the human person, encouraging the view that human beings are primarily biological organisms or technological objects. This article examined Leon Kass’s conception of human dignity as an integrated philosophical framework for engaging these contemporary bioethical challenges. Drawing upon philosophical analysis and critical evaluation, the study argued that Kass’s conception of human dignity is grounded on the intrinsic nature of the human person and not on autonomy, utility or social recognition. Furthermore, Kass’s bioethical vision incorporated philosophical anthropology, scientific reflection and moral reasoning as a way of defending the uniqueness of human life against technological reductionism. The article contended that Kass’s concept offered an important corrective to the dominant bioethical theories which privilege the individual while neglecting the ontological and moral significance of human nature. Although some aspects of Kass’s conservatism were open to philosophical criticism, the integrated approach he offers, proved to be a compelling framework for understanding human dignity in an age increasingly dominated by biomedical innovation and artificial intelligence. The study concluded that Kass’s vision continues to make an important contribution to contemporary debates concerning personhood, medical ethics and the moral limits of biotechnology.
Keywords: Human dignity; Leon Kass; Bioethics; Philosophical anthropology; Biotechnology; Human nature; Medical ethics.
Tom Martin Effiong
Philosophy Department,
University of Uyo
Phone Number: 08161720599
Author Name(s):
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23087403
Copyright © [2026] The Author(s). Published by the Journal of People and Worldviews (JPW). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are properly credited.