Wartości uniwersalne w myśli społecznej Jana Pawła II
Universal values in Pope John Paul II’s social thought

Summary/Abstract: Over the centuries, classical values have determined the aim of people’s aspirations and presented a significant outline of the ancient world culture. The personal pattern was a morally beautiful man (kalos kai agatos – beautiful and good) formed (morphosis) and raised (paideia) in the context of the ideals from the Greek literature and philosophy. Ancient patterns, enriched with Christian ideals, created fundaments for a new Christian – classical (Latin) civilization. In its circle, the synthesis of classical and Christian values became a guarantee of normality and objective truth. Educating the man in this spirit is really humanistic and it expresses the ethos of Latin civilization – pursuing objective truth to obtain knowledge of the reality. Currently, what was underlined by John Paul II, contradictory ideas and beliefs obscure the vision of reality. Consequently, there is no room for objective truth and for moral, ideological and religious values. Instead of rationality, an attitude of negation dominates and all values (the most universal as well) are treated in a reductionist way and what is more, in a nihilistic way. In response to the world’s dehumanization, Pope demonstrated a project of its humanization, promoting a civilization of life and love. Although it has Christian provenance and is based on evangelical values, thanks to the Pope, it became a universal project, satisfying desires of every man, irrespective of ideological, religious and cultural differences. The vision of the intense humanism was finalized in the speech given during the ceremony honoring Pope with a honoris causa degree at the La Sapienza University in Rome. Then, the Pope recapitulated his multiannual activities in the sphere of human rights, human dignity protection and promotion of civilization of life. His continuator is Benedict XVI, who is a great protector of universal values and humanism in the contemporary civilization, and at the same time a distinctive opponent of ‘dictatorship of relativism’.

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