Document Type : Research Paper

Author

• Mahdi Moradi Berelian

Assistant Professor, Department of Public and International Law, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran

Abstract

Introduction

One of the most significant contributions to the legal is the concept developed by Ronald Dworkin. His views on interpretation, ethics, human rights, politics, and the legal system form a unified framework, which is most clearly articulated in his later work Justice for Hedgehogs (2011). These insights provide a valuable understanding of the nature of the legal. Teleological ethics, the value of humanity, and reason as a tool in the service of humanity, all form the common ground between Kant’s and Dworkin’s ideas. This perspective shifts the focus from moral–legal integrity to political integrity rooted in ethics, where equal concern and respect for individuals become central to governance. In turn, this opens a new perspective on the nature of governance. The present study tried to answer the following questions: What is the nature of the legal according to Dworkin? How does Dworkin’s conception of the legal relate to Kant’s idea of the inherent dignity of human beings? And what are the implications of adopting Dworkin’s approach to the legal and the moral for political issues and governance?

Literature Review

There are few studies in Persian, but they do not thoroughly examine Dworkin’s legal theory in light of Kant’s ideas.

Materials and Methods

The present study employed a descriptive–analytical research method. In explaining Dworkin’s legal theory, it tried to provide a comprehensive analysis and demonstrate the Kantian foundations underlying his theory.

Results and Discussion

Dworkin argues that the legal system encompasses not only specific rules established through societal procedures but also principles that offer the most compelling moral justification for those rules. From this perspective, the concept of law is understood as an interpretive concept, and both the legal system and law itself are regarded as parts of political morality. A deeper understanding of Ronald Dworkin’s legal and political philosophy is achieved by recognizing Kant as a cornerstone of his thought. Indeed, Dworkin’s conception of law and politics cannot be fully grasped without reference to a Kantian or Neo-Kantian framework. In Justice for Hedgehogs (2011), Dworkin draws on Kant’s idea that true self-respect is expressed through equal respect for the humanity of all individuals, thus linking ethics with morality. This reflects Kant’s fundamental emphasis on moral lawfulness, which Dworkin highlights in his work. A more precise reading of Dworkin’s claim is that both individuals and political communities ought to act in accordance with principles that embody a morally appropriate conception of law. This corresponds to his notion of law as integrity, which echoes Kant’s moral imperative to act according to internal principles or general rules that take legal form and are objectively binding on all individuals. For Dworkin, the principles of human dignity consist of equal concern and equal respect. The principle of equal concern requires that no government can claim legitimacy unless it shows equal attention and concern for the well-being of every individual under its authority. The principle of equal respect requires that government honor each person’s right and responsibility to make informed choices about how to live their own life.

Conclusion

The political implications of Dworkin’s ideas, which link legal integrity to political integrity, can be better understood in the context of Kant’s philosophy. Kant regarded humanity not as an end we create or produce, but as an end for the sake of which we act. To act for humanity as an intrinsic end requires adopting an attitude that properly acknowledges its value. Within Dworkin’s conceptual framework, humanity is precisely such an end—one that must be taken seriously. This necessitates treating it as the constraining factor of our pursuit of both immediate and ultimate ends. These limits establish acceptable principles of action that take the form of law, that is, systematic, comprehensive, and equally applicable to all in similar circumstances. This requirement or limitation is what Dworkin identifies as political integrity. A failure to act with integrity constitutes a failure to meet the formal condition of respecting human dignity. Integrity, in turn, serves the ideal of equality, under which all citizens should be subject to the same benefits and limitations arising from a coherent system of political principles. From a Kantian perspective, treating humanity as an intrinsic end requires aligning the actions and decisions of the political community with universal laws that express equal concern and respect for all individuals.

Keywords

• The Moral
• The Political
• Humanity
• Integrity
• Teleologism

Main Subjects

• Public Law