It is my contention
that a Society of Dignity is the next step, and a necessary one. We are not
there yet, though hints of it are beginning to appear, giving us a peep at what
the future could be, if we will it. While the Society of Contract preaches
merit and ability, the Society of Dignity would expand on that to include the
worth and dignity of every
individual. Not everyone is successful in the Society of Contract—the disabled,
minorities, the luckless. A Society of Dignity is a Society of Contract with Purpose; it represents the coming
of the Judaic ideal, “You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy
nation,” and of the Christian ideal, “Thy kingdom come, on earth as it is in
Heaven.” The Society of Dignity represents affirmative rights for all, including a minimum standard of
living—dignified and humane work to do, healthcare, education, freedom from
hunger, freedom from discrimination of any kind—and these human rights are for all, regardless of merit and ability.
The Society of Dignity is one that takes seriously the notion that “I am my
brother’s keeper,” one that takes seriously the notion that “as you do unto the
least of these, you do unto me.”
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