Abstract
Dignity is a phenomenon that crosses several historical eras and cultural perspectives. Polish and European history of thought highlight the notion of human dignity. This work explores some key elements in Polish Renaissance philosophy, notably the provenance of Arundinensis (also known as Jan of Trzciana), and how this relates to and enrich Poland’s philosophical debates. The ideas of this Polish philosopher, who died in 1567, connect current discussion regarding the universality of human dignity, the foundation for human rights, and John Locke’s ideas regarding human dignity. Hence, this work extends the debate on the universality of these ideas.The thesis explores four themes using the fundamental process of philosophical analysis and employing the hermeneutic method of inquiry through texts’ exegesis. The aim is to acquire the hermeneutical optimization provided by the coherence of a given text interpretation with its overall context. The first theme concerns the ontological status of the concept of dignity. The second seeks to understand the provenance of Arundinenis’ work, asking where his inspiration sources come from and how the Polish cultural, political, and philosophical context during the 16th century influenced his work. The third deals with the inquiry regarding the differences and similarities between Arundinensis’ idea of human worth and the human rational mind compared to John Locke’s, and Mikołaj Dłuski’s conceptions. I also discuss elements of the Antitrinitarian movement denying the dogma of the Holy Trinity and being engaged with religious tolerance. Finally, Arundinensis is positioned within a contemporary debate concerning human dignity’s ontological status, especially regarding the problem of the inherency of human dignity.
| Date of Award | Jun 2024 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Kate Macfarlane (Supervisor), Birut Zemits (Supervisor) & Wayne Cristaudo (Supervisor) |