О ТЕМЕЉУ ЉУДСКОГ ДОСТОЈАНСТВА
ON THE FOUNDATION OF HUMAN DIGNITY

Summary/Abstract: Trying to understand the foundation of human dignity, the author discusses the viewpoints of Pico della Mirandola, Kant and Christianity. According to the Renaissance thinker, the human dignity comes from the possibility that he, in contrast to other beings, only by himself can both make and form himself. Rejecting the Christian humility, Pico della Mirandola thinks that man, since he cannot accept to be the second in anything, only by himself can rise even above the angels. Although the modern idea of self-creation is partly present in Kant’s philosophy too, the German philosopher thinks that the foundation of human dignity lies in man’s personality, in fact that he is purpose by itself and moral being. Convinced that the dignity is connected with the sphere of morality, Kant claims that sanctity of moral law is transferred to man who as a rational being is the subject of the moral law. If the sanctity as the foundation of dignity is preserved even in Kant’s philosophy, it is quite expected that in religion human dignity lies in the measure he is like God. In contrast to Kant, who narrows religion to morality, Christianity claims that the human dignity comes from the fact that he is created in the image of God. Since man is both given as image of God and can be improved as likeness to God, he has the dignity in the measure he is like God.

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