The concept of dignity is ubiquitous in bioethics. However, some bioethicists have argued that it is useless. In response, numerous defences of dignity have recently emerged. All of these arguments claim that, if dignity is properly explained, it can help us greatly in resolving bioethical controversies. This article rejects such a defence of dignity. It presents four of the most plausible conceptions of dignity: dignity as virtuous behaviour; dignity as innate moral value; Kantian dignity; dignity as integrity of the species. He argues that while each conception is coherent, each is also fundamentally flawed. Accordingly, the article argues for a bioethics without dignity: "an unworthy bioethics".
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