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The Forum > Article Comments > 'Human dignity' under fire > Comments

'Human dignity' under fire : Comments

By Michael Cook, published 6/6/2008

Human dignity is one of those notions that is part of the air we breathe. Denigrating it is a brain wave without a future.

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I am always interested in reading Michael Cook's articles. Has he written any books at all?
Posted by Till, Friday, 6 June 2008 10:04:57 AM
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Don't know if he has written any books, but he edits these online journals:

http://www.mercatornet.com/

http://www.bioedge.org/

I agree - great article.
Posted by stop&think, Friday, 6 June 2008 10:14:20 AM
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A very good article. Clear and well thought out. Thanks.
Posted by AMCE, Friday, 6 June 2008 11:09:10 AM
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I think anyone reading this article should do themselves a favour and access the link to Steven Pinker's original piece provided by the author. It is very good.

And I can see what would have upset Michael Cook. As a theocon bioethicist himself he would have rankled at Pinker's summary "theocon bioethics flaunts a callousness toward the billions of non-geriatric people, born and unborn, whose lives or health could be saved by biomedical advances. Even if progress were delayed a mere decade by moratoria, red tape, and funding taboos (to say nothing of the threat of criminal prosecution), millions of people with degenerative diseases and failing organs would needlessly suffer and die. And that would be the biggest affront to human dignity of all."

I think when examining the views of people like Mr Cook we need to ask whose dignity are they really protecting with their pontifications and the answer more often than not is their own. I accuse both sides of this. In the case of Singer his arguments for the euthanasia of severely disabled infants appear to centre on the position they are less human than fully abled peers rather than any discussion about the preservation of their dignity. However one gets the very strong impression they are an affront to his own dignity.

Admittedly while I am more than happy to hear well constructed argument from the clergy I do prefer my bioethicists theocracy free. It is my bias for less bias so to speak.
Posted by csteele, Friday, 6 June 2008 3:07:09 PM
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On the one hand the author writes about human dignity.

On the other hand his homebase Opus Dei helped produce a vile sado-masochistic snuff/splatter film, in which the "hero" was systematically beaten to death.

So much for human dignity.

The message being that it is necessary to mortify and abuse the body in order to become "holy".
All the usual shedding of blood and "noble" suffering double-minded nonsense. Which inevitably leads to the dreadful politics of scapegoating.

Plus his website has direct links with all the usual right wing boosters of the Pentagon military/industrial/"entertainment" complex. The death machine which now dominates every aspect of USA "culture".

Needless to say the author wont even begin to address that issue.
Posted by Ho Hum, Friday, 6 June 2008 3:14:54 PM
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'Dignity' is just the latest theological buzzword put forward to try and take the place of the increasingly threadbare concept of 'sin'. After two thousand years of religion it was becoming plain to nearly everyone that 'sinning' usually just meant having a better time than somebody else. Enter 'dignity'.

Acting with 'dignity' means doing what God and the establishment tell you to do. It sounds better than 'Consume, be silent, die', but it means basically the same thing.
Posted by Jon J, Friday, 6 June 2008 8:04:21 PM
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