Paradoxes of Dignity in Israel/Palestine

Abstract

Is human dignity a useful political concept for us today? Some think it is useful precisely because it can mean whatever one wants it to mean; others think it is useless for that same reason. It is certainly productive to acknowledge its elusiveness. Perhaps we can only understand fully what dignity means at instances when society fails to protect the dignity of its members. Perhaps we only know dignity in the face of indignation. Against the background of the ambiguity of the concept, I propose that dignity is democratized when resistance to oppression is considered a fundamental right, defended under the umbrella of human dignity.