Human dignity and the kingdom of ends : an introduction

Human Dignity and the Kingdom of Ends: Kantian Perspectives and Practical Applications is a collection of new essays that brings together two moral ideas: human dignity and the kingdom of ends. Human dignity is the fundamental, inherent worth or elevated status that all people share. The colorfully and evocatively named kingdom of ends comes from the eighteenth-century philosopher Immanuel Kant and denotes the ideal of a perfect moral community: a society where everyone freely recognizes the demands of morality and acts accordingly. This introduction first discusses the idea of human dignity and situates this volume in the wider literature on that topic. Second, it introduces Kant’s concept of a kingdom of ends in the context of his moral framework. Third, it explains in more detail why it is worthwhile to analyze these two ideas in tandem. Lastly, it outlines the structure of the volume and briefly discuss the individual chapters.