Abstract
Humanists and legal scholars frequently talk about human dignity. This concept is crucial in human rights discourse and in many domestic legal systems. But human dignity is a protean concept. As such it is hard to pin down. Some theorists root dignity claims in the human capacity for reason; others look to vulnerability and the capacity for suffering. Whatever its roots, the work of recognizing and respecting dignity is more than conceptual and theoretical. It requires diligent and demanding legal and political work. We are lucky to have three insightful essays to explore human dignity and the law in this issue’s Commentary Section.