Essay on the Dignity of the Human Person and the Common Good

This essay delves into the concepts of human dignity and the common good, emphasizing their significance as moral principles, particularly within the context of Catholic teachings. Human dignity is defined as the inherent right of every individual to be respected and valued, irrespective of their background or capabilities. The common good, on the other hand, refers to the collective well-being and benefit of all members of society, requiring equitable consideration of everyone's interests. The essay contrasts the common good with utilitarian approaches and underscores the importance of upholding human dignity in various practices, especially in healthcare. It highlights the responsibilities of medical professionals in safeguarding human life and promoting the common good through education, community involvement, and advocacy for policies that support health and well-being. The essay concludes by emphasizing the role of solidarity and collective action in realizing these ethical principles for current and future generations.

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Running head: The Dignity of Human Person and Realization of Common Good
The Dignity of the Human Person and Realization of the Common Good
Student’s Name
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Human dignity has been described as a principle in which every human has a right to be
respected, valued as a unique being, and treated ethically with honor. This should be done with

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The Dignity of Human Person and Realization of Common Good
no conditions. It shouldn’t be based on what one is capable of doing, who they are, religious and
political background or the social class they belong. Human dignity can never be earned nor
taken away from someone. The Catholic Church argues that “life is sacred and the dignity of the
human person is the moral vision for the society we live in”. It is therefore evident enough that
human dignity is one of the most important virtues that need to be realized and practiced today
and in the future. Common good on the other hand has been illustrated as what can be generally
accepted and beneficial to all (Condit, 2016). This, therefore, requires consideration of all
people’s interest and their equity in general.
The doctrine of the common good is what should inspire people towards thinking of
health services. The Roman Catholic contends the common good as “the sum total of social
conditions which allow people either as groups or as individuals to reach their fulfillment more
fully and more easily” (Haile,2017). The common good principle completely differs from John
Stuart Mills argument on the common good “greatest good for the greatest number”. This
because it discriminates the minority group in the community and only favors the majority.
Precisely is the term that has been used in our today's living where the majority wins. The
common good must never be administered at the expense of the less privileged in the
community. Instead, it should be used to bring together all the different kind of society
The dignity of the human person must never be violated. The Catholic teachings hold that
life begins at conception until natural death. It's, therefore, a responsibility to safeguard the life
of a human person. Practices that takes a human life such as abortion, euthanasia and physician-
assisted suicide violates the principle of the dignity of the human person (Kammer, 2012). The
dignity of the human person realization applies both to the patients whose health is on the hands
of the physicians and also on the medical attendants. The nurses, physicians, the pharmacist

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The Dignity of Human Person and Realization of Common Good
should not be forced into practices that undermine their career ethics and not to mention their
conscience.
The common good has been compared to be more like being in a team. In a team of
players, they have to work with cooperation in order to win. Even as much as a single player
want to win, they can never win without the help of the rest in the team (Kelly, 2017). Solidarity
as a principle must, therefore, be practiced all for the common good. It's, therefore, the
responsibility of each person to enable the development and growth of themselves and their
fellow neighbors. This can be guaranteed through unifying and bringing to existence of health
institutions, policies and not forgetting safety and protection of all at the expense of realization of
the common good.
There are various activities that the medical attendants can practice to help on the human
dignity and realization of the common good. They can choose to organize a seminar and educate
people on better living standards (Barilan, 2014). They can choose to educate people on the
benefits of eating healthy diets and on this risk associated with irregular exercises. When people
are able to understand issues such as osteoporosis, obesity, tooth cavities which may come up as
a result of eating a lot of sugars and failure to brush off the teeth they will be able to uplift their
dignity and refrain from activities that may bring harm to their health.
Medical attendants can also team up with the government and campaign on
environmental sanitation. This will reduce various advanced reactions that result from a poor
sanitation, for example, mild fever all for the common good. Medical attendants through the help
of the community can choose to educate the youths on the issues of health as a human right and
realization of the dignity of the human person and the common good. Through educating the

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The Dignity of Human Person and Realization of Common Good
youths it can be ensured that the dignity of the human person and realization of the common
good will still continue on the next generation (Hilgendorf, 2017).
REFERENCES
Barilan, Y. M. (2014). Human dignity, human rights, and responsibility: The
new language of global ethics and biolaw.

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The Dignity of Human Person and Realization of Common Good
Condit, D. P. (2016, November). Catholic social teachings: precepts for health in respect to human
dignity. The Linacre quarterly, 83(4). Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5375599/
Haile, B. H. (2017, November). your faith
Human Dignity, Human Rights and Criminal Law in Israel and Germany, Hilgendorf, E.,
Kremnitzer, M., & Duncker et Humblot. (2018). Human dignity and criminal law:
Würzburg Conference on Human Dignity,
Kammer, F. K. (2012). HEALTH PROGRESS. the catholic health association of
the united states. Retrieved from
https://www.chausa.org/publications/health-progress/article/july-august-
2012/the-common-good-and-health-care-reform
KELLY, B. R. (2017). DIGNITY, MENTAL HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS:
Coercion and the law. S.l.: ROUTLEDGE
Human Rights and Criminal Law in Israel and Germany, July 20–22, 2015.