Godność ontyczna jako fundament i miara doskonalenia osoby

There are many meanings of the term “dignity”: psychological, sociological, legal etc.,in this paperauthor concentrates on the ontic level. Dignity is person's “ontic value”, it points to three personal values: rationality (ability to recognise the truth), freedom (ability to self-determination) and love (ability to become a gift for another person). Ontic dignity is pre-moral, it is an “attribute” of human existence. Every person – and their dignity – is revealed by different forms of transcendence. The author focuses on the practical (pedagogical) aspect of dignity as well as the theological one. He derives from two concepts: creation of man in the “image of God” and Incarnation and redemption of man. These considerations refer to the thoughts of John Paul II, presentparticularlyin his book Memory and Identity.