The empirically-based taxonomy described here shows some concordance with the technical meanings of dignity derived through analysis and argument in those fields, but also some divergence.
The Panel's conclusion is that while the language of human dignity is seemingly universal, there is currently no consensus on the moral basis or on the precise meaning of human dignity.
Last summer, the Regents chose to include Chekhov's short story "An Upheaval" on the English exam, requiring students to refer to it in writing an essay on "the meaning of human dignity".
Justices Kennedy, Breyer and Ginsburg have all defended the use of foreign and international law, noting that it is neither binding nor determinative in the cases they hear, but merely informative, particularly on universal concepts like the meaning of "human dignity".
But it's still a heartbreaking movie for any American to watch who hasn't completely lost his or her grasp of the meaning of human dignity.
