深めて！南山GLS　学生の活躍　GLS教員リレーエッセイ

Students usually know that "Hominis dignitati" is the official motto of Nanzan University and most will come across the concept in their first-year courses. The origins of this motto derive from Christianity, and it is usually defined as the worth or status of a person, irrespective of their age, gender, status, or race. For the most part, human dignity has been used to refer to how people treat or perceive other people. In the 20^th century, human dignity has also become synonymous with the idea of human rights. For me, though, there are two other aspects of human dignity, which are seldom addressed and need further examination.

Firstly, while human dignity is usually discussed in terms of how a person views or treats another person, I have always felt that the concept really begins with how a person views or treats themselves: self-dignity. If you don't value yourself, how can you expect others to value you? This might be seen as selfish, but with an increasing focus on mental health issues around the world in recent years, this is crucially important. According to the National Institutes of Health (2021), self-dignity can be enhanced through developing self-respect, self-confidence, autonomy, and integrity. In my opinion, it doesn't matter so much if you actually achieve these goals, but that you try to achieve them. Merely striving for these worthwhile goals means you are exhibiting dignity. If you are exhibiting dignity and valuing it, then you are more likely to exhibit human dignity towards other people and they, in turn, will treat you with human dignity. It all starts with yourself.

Another interesting aspect of human dignity is how technology, such as AI, will shape it in the future. Can AI replicate human dignity? If it can, then does this mean AI is becoming human? A quick prompt on ChatGPT yielded the following definition of human dignity.

"Human dignity refers to the inherent worth and intrinsic value of every person, which must be respected and upheld regardless of their circumstances, status, or identity. It embodies the principle that every individual deserves to be treated with respect, honor, and fairness simply by virtue of being human. This concept is foundational to human rights, emphasizing that all people have an equal and inalienable right to live with dignity, free from discrimination, exploitation, and dehumanization. Human dignity recognizes the unique worth of each individual and affirms their right to be valued and to contribute to society on their own terms."

This tells us that AI can clearly understand what human dignity is. However, can it express human dignity towards people? The answer to this question could fundamentally change our perception of what human dignity is in the near future.