African, Black, and Western Conceptions of Human Dignity.

The article examines three philosophical conceptions of human dignity from Western, African, and Black traditions, focusing on the distinction between capacity-based and merit-based approaches. Western philosophy typically grounds human dignity in the intrinsic possession of certain ontological capacities (e.g., reason), while African and Black philosophies view dignity as contingent on the positive use or performance of capacities—such as achieving personhood or engaging in struggle against domination. The article identifies three key lessons: the Western view must clarify how ontological features bear intrinsic value; African and Black conceptions align with virtue-based accounts emphasizing moral character and resistance; and the capacity-based approach offers moral-theoretical advantages in addressing bioethical, environmental, and political issues that merit-based views struggle to resolve.