Abstract
The concept of dignity is famously multifaceted, with such varied applications that some have even dismissed it as incoherent. This entry explores some central dimensions, applications, and philosophical questions surrounding the notion of dignity as a kind of moral status involving possession of an inherent, unearned form of worth that calls for respect and plausibly grounds basic moral rights. Some central issues concern the source or grounds of dignity; the locus of dignity; the distinction between possessing dignity and having a sense of dignity; conditions fitting to human dignity; relations between dignity and inviolability, human rights, and human equality or equal human worth; the kind of respect relevant to dignity; and implications of dignity for issues in medical ethics.