Overview

This volume examines the concept of human dignity from uniquely Asian perspectives. As the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) celebrates its 75th anniversary, human dignity is more consequential than ever, yet it is not understood in the same way in every nation or by every culture. Here, human dignity is approached from a number of distinctive viewpoints: its relation to religious freedom in maturing pluralist democracies, its foundation in ancient Eastern philosophy, its pursuit by liberation movements, and its alignment with Buddhism, Islam, and less familiar Indigenous religions. The authors, from various Asian countries, bring extensive scholarship and experience to bear on the project of expanding the idea of human dignity. They present a range of perspectives, having roots as they do in states with distinct religious and cultural traditions that, following the Second World War, have evolved toward constitutional democracies, as well as states where social and legislative developments related to human dignity have been influenced by more collectivist ideologies. The collection will be of interest to philosophers of law, constitutional and human rights theorists and lawyers, political historians, international law specialists and ethicists, and those interested in interfaith dialogue and multifaith engagement.

Full Product Details

Author:   Brett G. Scharffs ,  Hannah Clayson Smith (Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, Brigham Young University) ,  Emily H. Butler
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Weight:   0.670kg
ISBN:  

9781041131878

ISBN 10:   1041131879
Pages:   268
Publication Date:   31 December 2025
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Not yet available  
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Table of Contents

Introduction, Brett G. Scharffs, Hannah Clayson Smith, and Emily H. Butler; 1. Human Dignity and Asian Values: Ideological Foundations, Ethical Principles, and Legal Practices, Do Lan Hien; 2. Perspectives on Human Dignity in Bangladesh, Ismat Jahan; 3. Buddhism and Human Dignity, Hoang Thi Lan; 4. Chinese Conceptions of Dignity and Rights, Paul Marshall; 5. Chinese Perspectives on Human Dignity: Insights from Chinese Scholars' Studies, Pinghua Sun; 6. Human Dignity in the Chinese Constitution, Songfeng Li; 7. Human Dignity and Political Natural Law, Qianfan Zhang; 8. The Universality of Human Dignity and Human Rights: An Indonesian Experience, Maruarar Siahaan; 9. Are There Notions of Human Dignity in Japanese Religions? An Inquiry into Folk Religion, Buddhism, and Christianity, Martin Repp; 10. Japanese Dignity from the Perspective of Spirituality, Naoki Kashio; 11. Choe Je-u's Religious Experience and the Rise of Human Dignity: Consciousness in the Eastern Learning of Korea, Chae Young Kim; 12. The One Mind of Seon Master Daehaeng in the Era of Post Humans, Hyeyou Sunim; 13. The Human Dignity of Women Pastors in the Korean Church, Youngsu Kim; 14. Upholding Human Dignity for Peaceful Coexistence and Social Harmony: A Conversation between Muslims and Non-Muslims on Principles and Prerequisites in Malaysian Society, Eugene Yapp; 15. Human Dignity: An Islamic and Malaysian Perspective, Mohamed Azam Mohamed Adil; 16. The Basis of Women's Dignity: A Vietnamese Perspective, Chi Tran-Phuong and Anh Nguyen-The; 17. A History of Human Dignity in Vietnam, Do Quang Hung; 18. Human Dignity: Some Fundamental Issues from the Vietnamese Legal Perspective, Pham Quoc Thanh; 19. Human Dignity Within Bali Hinduism: Local, National, and Global Perspectives, I Ketut Ardhana, Ni Wayan Radita Novi Puspitasari, and Ni Made Putri Ariyanti.

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Author Information

Brett G. Scharffs is the Director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at the Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School, USA. Hannah Clayson Smith is the Associate Director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School, USA. Emily H. Butler is an editor at the Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School, USA.

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