Human rights as a moral compass in the face of the dictatorship of relativism. A philosophical reflection to safeguard human dignity in the digital age

Abstract

The notion of the “dictatorship of relativism,” introduced by theologian Joseph Ratzinger, refers to a stance that denies the existence of absolute truths, promoting instead the idea that all perspectives are equally valid and dependent on individual or cultural context. In this thread, the overall objective of this article is to discuss how human rights can serve as a moral compass in the face of the dictatorship of relativism, allowing to safeguard the doctrine of human dignity in the digital age. To address these questions, use was made of a hermeneutic methodology, as understood by Gadamer, and of the documentary research technique. It is concluded that human rights ethics can serve as a meta-framework within which diverse cultural perspectives contribute to an evolving understanding of dignity, rather than a fixed standard against which all cultures are measured. Nevertheless, in the face of the dichotomy: moral relativism and human rights, the universal conception of human rights must prevail as a condition of possibility for the development of human dignity and its constitutive capacities.