Negative Theory of Human Dignity

Foundations for the Right Not to Be Humiliated

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25247/P1982-999X.2025.v25n3.p235-244

Keywords:

Negative Theory, Human Dignity, situations of dehumanization

Abstract

The relationship between dignity and humiliation is central to the theory proposed by De Matos. Humiliation, understood as a process of dehumanization and diminishment of the human being, is not merely an act of offense but a form of violence that strikes at the very integrity of the person. By recognizing that dignity is denied in situations of humiliation, De Matos argues that the fundamental right not to be humiliated must be central to the understanding of human rights. Rather than protecting dignity in an abstract and universal sense, the focus should be on preventing individuals from being treated with disrespect or inferiority, acknowledging that true dignity lies in the preservation of the subject’s humanity in all conditions, especially in the most adverse ones.

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Author Biographies

  • Agemir Bavaresco, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul

    Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne). Postdoctoral fellow at Fordham University. Visiting Scholar at the University of Pittsburgh. Postdoctoral research at the University of Sydney. Research and solidarity initiatives at the University of Guyana (2014). Postdoctoral research at Columbia University (2015). Postdoctoral research at Kingston University, London, at the Center for Research in Modern European Philosophy. Interdisciplinary research and development of a network of international and interinstitutional relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the Center for German Studies and the Department of Philosophy (2018). International Cooperation and Exchange in China 2019 (Peking University and Beijing Foreign Studies University) and India 2019 (Goa University). He also holds a master’s degree in Philosophy from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (1993), a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from the Catholic University of Pelotas (1978), a bachelor’s degree in Theology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (2010), and a Bachelor of Laws from the Catholic University of Pelotas (2007). He is currently a professor in the Graduate Program in Philosophy at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS). His research takes an interdisciplinary approach in the areas of Modern Philosophy, Social Philosophy, and Brazilian Political Philosophy. He is currently focusing on the topic “Contradictions of Democracy and Public Opinion.”

  • Oscar Pérez Portales, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul

    He holds a bachelor’s degree in PHILOSOPHY from the University of Oriente, SANTIAGO DE CUBA. He earned a master’s degree in Philosophy from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (CNPQ). He received his Ph.D. in Philosophical Sciences from the University of Oriente, Cuba. He completed a specialization in the Teaching of Philosophy at the Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil. Ph.D. in Philosophy from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (CAPES). Postdoctoral fellowship at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (CAPES-PRINT). Full Professor at the University of Oriente, Cuba (2009–2024). Part-time Professor at the University of Medical Sciences, Santiago de Cuba (CUBA). Professor of Philosophy, Professor of Political Theory, Professor of Classical Political Philosophy, Professor of Contemporary Political Philosophy. He teaches in the departments of Journalism, Psychology, Philosophy, History, and Medicine. He has experience in the field of philosophy, with an emphasis on political philosophy, focusing primarily on the following topics: hegemony, the subject, neoliberalism, the political subject, discourse, and democracy.

References

- DE MATOS, Saulo. Teoria Negativa da dignidade humana: Fundamentos para o direito de não ser humilhado. São Paulo: Editora Dialética, 2025, 196 p.

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Published

2025-10-15

Issue

Vol. 25 No. 3 (2025): Tópicos de Filosofia Contemporânea

Section

Resenha

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Agemir Bavaresco, Oscar Pérez Portales

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How to Cite

BAVARESCO, Agemir; PORTALES, Oscar Pérez. Negative Theory of Human Dignity: Foundations for the Right Not to Be Humiliated. Revista Ágora Filosófica, Recife, PE, Brasil, v. 25, n. 3, p. 236–245, 2025. DOI: 10.25247/P1982-999X.2025.v25n3.p235-244. Disponível em: https://periodicos.unicap.br/agora/article/view/3322. Acesso em: 21 sep. 2026.