Garton Ash Recognition Respect Summary

Garton Ash discusses the two kinds of respect he calls recognition respect and appraisal respect. He believes that recognition respect applies only to the person themselves, not their belief system, however the beliefs can earn appraisal respect through its merits. Recognition respect, as Garton Ash defines it, is “the unconditional respect that I owe you simply because you are a human being” (261). This respect is recognizing another person’s humanity, and does not need to be earned. It cannot be revoked no matter what a person says or does, because even if a person commits deplorable acts or says awful things they are still human like anyone else, hence it is unconditional.
Appraisal respect, however, has to be earned. Anything that a person