2026-09-19T02:21:53.353478800Zhttps://opus.uleth.ca/server/oai/requestoai:opus.uleth.ca:10133/6712019-02-08T06:08:17Zcom_10133_3346com_10133_1com_10133_296col_10133_3347col_10133_298
ULethbridge OPUS Repository
supervisor
von Heyking, John
author
Penninga, Mark
author
University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
2008-09-26T14:55:55Z
2008-09-26T14:55:55Z
2008
https://hdl.handle.net/10133/671
Understanding human dignity is integral to protecting human rights. An examination
of Canada‘s Supreme Court decisions and Canadian public policy debates reveals that human
dignity is being defined synonymously with individual autonomy and equality. This narrow
understanding has serious implications for people who are not able to assert their autonomy.
To understand the philosophical ideas behind these decisions, this thesis examines classical,
modern, and postmodern accounts of human dignity and concludes that they fall short in
providing an objective grounding for dignity that is truly human. It then looks to the Judeo-
Christian account of human dignity to provide a transcendent foundation for human dignity.
With this account, persons are rational and physical, relational, inviolable, and teleological –
a hopeful contrast to the prevailing contemporary accounts. This thesis then defends the place
of this religious perspective in our secular country.
en_US
Dissertations, Academic
Dignity -- Political aspects -- Canada
Dignity -- Religious aspects -- Christianity
Human rights -- Political aspects -- Canada
Human rights -- Religious aspects -- Christianity
Respect for persons -- Law and legislation -- Canada
A Judeo-Christian account of human dignity in Canadian law and public policy
Thesis
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
URL
http://localhost:4000/bitstreams/9e1333ef-1c9f-4a96-a275-32f85effb01f/download
File
MD5
6c4aac209d34ef55a5895975e9f04819
1010010
application/pdf
PENNINGA_MARK_MA_2008.pdf
URL
http://localhost:4000/bitstreams/c744e011-b89b-49a8-89a8-ab6a12e110f0/download
File
MD5
61b072aacf08a1900d1f25671ead4092
406754
text/plain
PENNINGA_MARK_MA_2008.pdf.txt