The Loveliness Men Hide: Eleanor Roosevelt on Human Dignity

Abstract

Eleanor Roosevelt’s conception of human dignity, a key foundational concept of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), influenced how she approached her duties as a member of the Declaration’s drafting committee. Her understanding was deeply practical, based not primarily on a philosophical or religious view of human nature, but on an actual care for particular human beings. Her love of humanity was not abstract or theoretical; it was built from the ground up. The final text of the UDHR reflects Eleanor’s vision for human rights, and for human dignity for everyone, everywhere.