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B. The Distinction Between the Equal Dignity of Persons and their Actions
A belief in the intrinsic worth and dignity of all persons is shared by Millian anti-
traditionalists and natural law traditionalists alike. George contends that the legislation of morals
and the maintenance of a sound moral ecology, rather than being expressions of contempt toward
citizens, are actually a recognition of their equal moral worth. If we assume with George that all
people have an interest in living morally upright lives, then the legislation of morality is a
justified expression of equal concern since each person’s interests are being taken seriously by the
state. George defends his position in the following way:
To treat persons with equal respect…is to act from an appreciation of their equal value
as persons, as unique loci of human goods, possessing the rational capacity for self-
determination by free choice, but subject to being deflected from full reasonableness in
choosing not only by mistakes in judgment, but also by habits, weakness of will, and
unintegrated feelings, desires, and other emotional factors. Governments are obliged to
show equal respect to persons qua persons, not to all of the persons’ acts and choices.
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This holds even if particular individuals resist the morality the state attempts to enforce as an
expression of equal respect, since people often fail to value things that are in fact valuable for
them. What is most notable in this line of argument is the robust and unwavering emphasis
George places on each individual’s moral integrity, ability to reason well, and equal worth.
The manner in which George uses natural law theory to address the issues of sex outside
of marriage and homosexuality provides an outstanding and highly relevant illustration of this
point, especially since abstinence-only education and sexual orientation are two of the most
highly charged and controversial aspects of the sex education debate, with traditionalists and anti-
traditionalists viewing their treatment as a litmus test for the quality and desirability of sex
education programs in general.
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George, like most traditionalists, condemns sex outside of
marriage and homosexual conduct as immoral. However, unlike many traditionalists who argue
that non-marital sex and homosexuality are abominations against God and who sometimes
describe gays and lesbians, for example, as lacking in human dignity, there is no hint of bigotry in
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George (1995), 102.
74
George (1995), 153.
Convention