We should respect corpses because violating them would be a violation of human dignity, and it is still a violation
Evidence
What is the philosophical basis for respect of human corpses (Reddit r/askphilosophy)
Categorization
- corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim
- XREF: connects to: Small acts of decorum toward corpses matter more than practical logic — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 483; Not all legal regulations regarding treatment of human corpses are spelled out in the language of dignity; some offenses express special disrespect against the deceased — How to conceive the dignity of the dead? A dispositional account; Posthumous dignity is not a right held by the dead but is the reason why the living have duties of respect and protection toward the dead. — The Posthumous Dignity of Dead Persons (+4 more)
Related
- Not all legal regulations regarding treatment of human corpses are spelled out in the language of dignity; some offenses express special disrespect against the deceased (similarity 0.93)
- Posthumous dignity is not a right; the dead do not have rights and therefore no right to either posthumous dignity or posthumous respect. (similarity 0.90)
- There are no practical reasons to show respect for the dead - you don’t get anything and the person is dead, so it makes no sense (similarity 0.90)
- Posthumous dignity is not a right held by the dead but is the reason why the living have duties of respect and protection toward the dead. (similarity 0.89)
- We have a duty to treat the dead with dignity as a duty deriving from our good will, independent of religious considerations or concerns of virtue. (similarity 0.88)
- Human remains hold a certain sacredness and professional ethics and law (NAGPRA) require they be treated with dignity and respect regardless of the deceased’s ability to hold rights. (similarity 0.83)
- Moral and philosophical conceptions of dignity hold that a human being is entitled to ethical treatment in all phases of life and even through death. (similarity 0.82)