Degradation, dehumanization, instrumentalization, humiliation, and nonrecognition ¿ these concepts point to ways in which we understand human beings to be violated in their dignity. Violations of human dignity are brought about by concrete practices and conditions; some commonly acknowledged, such as torture and rape, and others more contested, such as poverty and exclusion. This volume collates reflections on such concepts and a range of practices, deepening our understanding of human dignity and its violation, bringing to the surface interrelationships and commonalities, and pointing to the values that are thereby shown to be in danger. In presenting a streamlined discussion from a negative perspective, complemented by conclusions for a positive account of human dignity, the book is at once a contribution to the body of literature on what dignity is and how it should be protected as well as constituting an alternative, fresh and focused perspective relevant to this significant recurring debate.
As the concept of human dignity itself crosses disciplinary boundaries, this is mirrored in the unique range of perspectives brought by the book¿s European and American contributors ¿ in philosophy and ethics, law, human rights, literature, cultural studies and interdisciplinary research. This volume will be of interest to social and moral philosophers, legal and human rights theorists, practitioners and students.

Manfred Nowak ¿ Preface
Paulus Kaufmann, Hannes Kuch, Christian Neuhäuser and Elaine Webster ¿ Human Dignity Violated: A Negative Approach
Ralf Stoecker ¿ Three Crucial Turns on the Road to an Adequate Understanding of Human Dignity
Part 1: Conceptions and Theories
1. Christian Neuhäuser ¿ Humiliation: The Collective Dimension
2. Hannes Kuch ¿ The Rituality of Humiliation: Exploring Symbolic Vulnerability
3. Paulus Kaufmann ¿ Instrumentalization: What does it Mean to Use a Person?
4. Elaine Webster ¿ Degradation: A Human Rights Law Perspective
5. Sophie Oliver ¿ Dehumanization: Perceiving the Body as (In)Human
Part 2: Practices of Violating Human Dignity
6. Andreas Maier ¿ Torture: How Denying Moral Standing Violates Human Dignity
7. Ivana Radacic ¿ Rape: Does International Human Rights Law Adequately Protect the Dignity of Women?
8. Steffen K. Herrmann ¿ Social Exclusion: Practices of Misrecognition
9. Peter Schaber ¿ Absolute Poverty: Human Dignity, Self-Respect, and Dependency
10. Julia Müller and Christian Neuhäuser ¿ Relative Poverty: On a Social Dimension of Dignity
11. Kirsteen Shields ¿ Trade Exploitation: Crossing the Threshold between Acceptable and Unacceptable Labor Conditions
12. Tamara Enhuber ¿ Bonded Labour: Dynamics Between Bondage, Identity and Dignity
Part 3: Conclusions for a Positive Account of Human Dignity
13. Marcus Düwell ¿ Human Dignity and Human Rights
14. Samuel Kerstein ¿ Dignity and Preservation of Personhood
15. Arndt Pollmann ¿ Embodied Self-Respect and the Fragility of Human Dignity: A Human Rights Approach