Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Human dignity, human security, terrorism and counter-terrorism

Scheinin, Martin (2019) p.13-25
Abstract

At least participants of the human rights discourse intuitively tend to think about human dignity when hearing the word ' dignity’, but about national or public security when hearing a reference to ‘security’. Thereby dignity tends to have a positive connotation in human rights circles, while security may primarily be seen as a threat to the full enjoyment of human rights. A closer look into the two notions will, however, reveal that both dignity and security will require a nuanced treatment when addressed in a human rights perspective. In this brief chapter it is suggested that a human rights approach to combating terrorism emphasises both human dignity and human security as the proper way to frame the discourse. The chapter will... (More)

At least participants of the human rights discourse intuitively tend to think about human dignity when hearing the word ' dignity’, but about national or public security when hearing a reference to ‘security’. Thereby dignity tends to have a positive connotation in human rights circles, while security may primarily be seen as a threat to the full enjoyment of human rights. A closer look into the two notions will, however, reveal that both dignity and security will require a nuanced treatment when addressed in a human rights perspective. In this brief chapter it is suggested that a human rights approach to combating terrorism emphasises both human dignity and human security as the proper way to frame the discourse. The chapter will address these two concepts and discuss their relevance in the fight against terrorism, ending by linking the two notions also to the definition of terrorism. Here, the author relies upon Immanuel Kant’s appeal to reason and his formulation of the categorical imperative as a maxim that any rational person must never treat another human being as mere means but always also as an end.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
keywords
Categorical imperative, Counter-terrorism, Human dignity, Human rights, Human security, Terrorism, Mänskliga rättigheter
host publication
Human Dignity and Human Security in Times of Terrorism
editor
Paulussen, Christophe and Scheinin, Martin
pages
13 pages
publisher
T.M.C. Asser Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85085419530
ISBN
9789462653542
9789462653559
DOI
10.1007/978-94-6265-355-9_2
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
a618f1a8-aed5-4268-8512-ca4cece9c56a
date added to LUP
2025-02-25 11:04:56
date last changed
2025-05-20 18:37:16
@inbook{a618f1a8-aed5-4268-8512-ca4cece9c56a,
  abstract     = {{<p>At least participants of the human rights discourse intuitively tend to think about human dignity when hearing the word ' dignity’, but about national or public security when hearing a reference to ‘security’. Thereby dignity tends to have a positive connotation in human rights circles, while security may primarily be seen as a threat to the full enjoyment of human rights. A closer look into the two notions will, however, reveal that both dignity and security will require a nuanced treatment when addressed in a human rights perspective. In this brief chapter it is suggested that a human rights approach to combating terrorism emphasises both human dignity and human security as the proper way to frame the discourse. The chapter will address these two concepts and discuss their relevance in the fight against terrorism, ending by linking the two notions also to the definition of terrorism. Here, the author relies upon Immanuel Kant’s appeal to reason and his formulation of the categorical imperative as a maxim that any rational person must never treat another human being as mere means but always also as an end.</p>}},
  author       = {{Scheinin, Martin}},
  booktitle    = {{Human Dignity and Human Security in Times of Terrorism}},
  editor       = {{Paulussen, Christophe and Scheinin, Martin}},
  isbn         = {{9789462653542}},
  keywords     = {{Categorical imperative; Counter-terrorism; Human dignity; Human rights; Human security; Terrorism; Mänskliga rättigheter}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  pages        = {{13--25}},
  publisher    = {{T.M.C. Asser Press}},
  title        = {{Human dignity, human security, terrorism and counter-terrorism}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6265-355-9_2}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/978-94-6265-355-9_2}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}