There are many concepts around human flourishing. Most people associate it with a momentary state that covers family, work, education, and religious community. 

But, what do the experts have to say about it? Well, The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), describe it as “a state in which all aspects of a person’s life are good”. 

Meanwhile, Dr. Edward W. Younkins, Executive Director of the Institute for the Study of Capitalism and Morality, defines it as “a moral accomplishment and a fulfillment of human capacities, and it is one through being the other”. 

But, what is happening with human flourishing nowadays? Is it being understood as it is? Probably not. 

An example

Days later after the Supreme Court released its landmark decision overturning Roe v. Wade, multiple blue-chip firms such as Starbucks, Netflix, Disney, and Meta have announced they’ll pay the expenses of staff forced to travel out of state for an abortion.

Through social media, we can see many people cheering for this kind of abortion policy seeking freedom for sexual reproductive rights for women. 

These kinds of actions happen because we’re living in a world where people see human flourishing through the eyes of apparent freedom. But is this the right lens? Not. When we associate human flourishing with the freedom people have to live a good life forgetting human dignity, we hazard to reduce people’s value to their choices. 

If we search in google “what is human flourishing”, immediately it appears “a state in which all aspects of a person’s life are good” -the concept I mentioned before-. But nowadays, that good life is reduced to the emotions that makes us feel cheerfuls or sorrowful.  

Human flourishing for the woman is associated with the capacity she has to decide to be a mom or not. So, when she doesn’t want to, she should be able to practice abortion. It the end that means she can have the good life she wants to. That’s why it is dangerous to see humans flourishing through the lens of freedom.

Human dignity gives another sense to the power people have to decide their actions. When we realize each one has value as a person no matter what, we won’t be able to flourish if that means someone else could be affected. 

The best lens to see human flourishing is through the eyes of human dignity. Otherwise, we won’t be able to see the whole path that is waiting ahead.