Although the explicit application of the idea of human dignity in international politics and law is very recent, its roots stretch back to the early stages of Western civilization. Two characteristics of the West are important as preconditions for the development of the idea: the West’s belief in the universal validity of its norms and its eventual basing of its norms in secular principles.
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Lewis, M. (2007). A Brief History of Human Dignity: Idea and Application. In: Malpas, J., Lickiss, N. (eds) Perspectives on Human Dignity: A Conversation. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6281-0_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6281-0_8
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