The Controversial Relationship Between Economic Growth and Human Dignity

Niccolo Faccini

doi:10.37075/YB.2023.1.10

Authors

Niccolo Faccini, PhD Student LUISS Guido Carli University Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37075/YB.2023.1.10

Keywords:

Economic growth, Human rights, Moral philosophy, Kant, Dignity

J81, J83, K19, K31, K33, K38, K39

Abstract

The relationship between economic growth and human dignity is a topic of great philosophical and ethical importance. Although economic growth can lead to an improvement in material living conditions, in many cases it can also lead to the violation of people’s fundamental rights, such as the right to decent work, health and education. Moral philosophy – in the wake of the Kantian lesson according to which every man should be treated as an end and not as a mere instrument – asks to consider the intrinsic value of the human being and to place human rights at the heart of ethical reflection.

References

Arendt, H. (1958). The Human Condition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2089589

Bodei, R. (2019). Le vicissitudini della dignità. Dominio e sottomissione. Schiavi, animali, macchine, Intelligenza Artificiale (Ed. Bodei, R.).

Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland. URL: https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gg/index.html (accessed 19.12.2022)

The Constitution of the Italian Republic. URL: https://www.governo.it/en/fundamental-principles/11825 (accessed 2022-10-01)

Dürig, G. (1956). Der Grundrechtssatz von der Menschenwürde. Archiv des öffentlichen Rechts, 81(2).

Fichte, J.G. (1967). La missione del dotto (1794). Milano: Rizzoli.

Han, B.C. (2012). La società della stanchezza. Roma: Nottetempo. ISBN: 88-7452-782-9

Hegel, G. W. F. (1975). The Letters. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Hobbes, T. (1965). Leviatano. Torino: UTET. ISBN: 978-0-87220-178-1

Case Omega Spielhallen- und Automatenaufstellungs-GmbH v Oberbürgermeisterin der Bundesstadt Bonn, 62002CJ0036. URL: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri = CELEX%3A62002CJ0036 (accessed 14 October 2004)

IstatData (2022). Research. Italian National Institute for Statistics. URL: https://esploradati.istat.it/databrowser/#/it/dw/dashboards (accessed 2022-10-01)

Kant, I. (1798). Die Metaphysik der Sitten. Metaphysische Anfangsgründe der Tugendlehre. Berlin: Königlich Preußische Akademie der Wissenschaften. DOI: https://doi.org/10.28937/978-3-7873-2991-5

Kant, I. (2005). Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785). Peterborough, ON: Broadview Press.

Kant, I. (2006). Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Kant, I. (2007). Critique of Judgement (1790). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Luhmann, N. (1999). Grundrechte als Institution. Ein Beitrag zur politischen Soziologie. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3790/978-3-428-00959-6

Maris, B. (2009). Capitalisme et pulsion de mort. Roma: La Lepre. ISBN: 978-2-226-18699-7

Maritain, Jacques (1964). Moral philosophy : an historical and critical survey of the great systems. London: Geoffrey Bles.

Enciclopedia Filosofica (2023). Human Dignity. URL: https://sites.unipa.it/viola/voce_dignita.pdf (accessed 2023-05-05)

Pico della Mirandola, G. (2021). La dignità dell'uomo (1486). Torino: Einaudi.

Pufendorf, S. (1998). De Jure Naturae et Gentium Libri octo (1672).

Santoro-Passarelli, G. (2023). Principi, valori costituzionali e legislativi a tutela della Dignità del lavoratore. Rapporto tra dignità del lavoro e libertà di iniziativa economica. La dignità "del" e "nel" lavoro.

Sentenza 170/1984, 170. URL: https://www.cortecostituzionale.it/actionSchedaPronuncia.do?anno=1984&numero=170 (accessed 2022-10-01)

Sentenza 348-349/2007, 348 and 349. URL: https://www.cortecostituzionale.it/actionSchedaPronuncia.do?anno=2007&numero=348 and https://www.cortecostituzionale.it/action-SchedaPronuncia.do?anno=2007&numero=349 (accessed 2022-10-01)

Sentenza 270/2010, 270. URL: https://www.cortecostituzionale.it/actionSchedaPronuncia.do?anno=2010&numero=270 (accessed 2022-10-01)

Sentenza 432/2005, 432. URL: https://giurcost.org/decisioni/2005/0432s-05.html (accessed 2022-10-01)

Sentenza 219/2008, 219/2008. URL: https://www.cortecostituzionale.it/actionSchedaPronuncia.do?anno=2008&numero=219 (accessed 2022-10-01)

D Pfordten (2018). Considerazioni sul concetto di dignità umana. La dignità in questione. Un percorso nel dibattito giusfilosofico contemporaneo (Ed. Marzocco V.).

Universal declaration of Human Rights. URL: https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights (accessed 2022-10-01)

United Nations (1993). Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. URL: https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/vienna-declaration-and-programme-action (accessed 2022-10-01)