Human Dignity in the Digital Age
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55613/jeet.v35i1.165Keywords:
human dignity, digital ethics, Dignitas Infinita, Catholic Social Teaching, misinformation, digital violence, common-sense bias, imago Dei, Bernard Lonergan, synodal methodAbstract
This article examines the theological and ethical implications of human dignity in the digital age, grounded in the magisterial declaration Dignitas Infinita. It explores how the document articulates human dignity through its ontological, moral, social, and existential dimensions, emphasizing the immutable worth of every person as imago Dei. The study employs the See-Judge-Act framework to analyze digital-age challenges such as misinformation, digital violence, and the erosion of interpersonal relationships. Drawing from Catholic social teaching, Bernard Lonergan’s theory of common-sense bias, and insights from patristic and contemporary thought, the paper critiques how digital technologies impact human dignity. The study underscores the role of the Church in fostering ethical digital environments and proposes solutions informed by theological and philosophical traditions, grounded in the method of synodality. Ultimately, it argues that safeguarding human dignity in digital spaces requires an integrative approach that combines moral responsibility, technological literacy, and a return to foundational Christian anthropology.
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