Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Law Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility

Georgetown University Law Center

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Law – philosophy

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Law

Lawyers As Upholders Of Human Dignity (When They Aren't Busy Assaulting It), David Luban Jan 2005

Lawyers As Upholders Of Human Dignity (When They Aren't Busy Assaulting It), David Luban

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

David Luban argues in this lecture that the moral foundation of the lawyer's profession lies in the defense of human dignity-and the chief moral danger facing the profession arises when lawyers assault human dignity rather than defend it. The concept of human dignity has a rich philosophical tradition, with some philosophers identifying human dignity as a metaphysical property of individuals-a property such as having a soul, or possessing autonomy. Luban argues instead that human dignity is a relational property of "the dignifier" and "the dignified," emphasizing that assaulting human dignity humiliates the victim. Lawyers honor the human dignity of others …


Integrity: Its Causes And Cures, David Luban Jan 2003

Integrity: Its Causes And Cures, David Luban

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Integrity is a good thing, isn't it? In ordinary parlance, we sometimes use it as a near synonym for honesty, but the word means much more than honesty alone. It means wholeness or unity of person, an inner consistency between deed and principle. "Integrity" shares etymology with other unity-words-integer, integral, integrate, integration. All derive from the Latin integrare, to make whole. And the person of integrity is the person whose conduct and principles operate in happy harmony. Our psyches always seek that happy harmony. When our conduct and principles clash with each other, the result, social psychology teaches us, is …