Demotix/Anatol Tyshkevich. All rights reserved.
Dignity is a misunderstood concept. It can be considered intrinsic to the self-worth of humans, or a virtue or merit that we attempt to gain. Claiming that dignity is to be earned—as Pope Francis has done repeatedly since his papacy began in March 2013, and especially during in his recent visit to the United States—goes against the claim that dignity is intrinsic. This recurring theme of dignity through work implies that people may not have dignity until they get a job. So are they worthless without one?
Elevating dignity to the status of what makes us human beings, and yet maintaining that it is dependent on external factors, triggers contradictory mechanisms. When it is dependent on work, for instance, a job is provided as a guarantee to satisfy so-called dignity, while the working conditions on the job and treatment of the workers may belie this.
