Dignitatis Humanae and Human Rights in Philosophical and Legal Existence and in Contemporary Constitutionalism: Division and Reunification

Abstract

The article analyzes the concept of “human dignity” in the context of philosophical and legal existence; scientific and philosophical identification of dignity as a polysemantic concept allows us to state its universal value and consider it as a universal legal and ethical category. The research work reveals the views of modern philosophers and lawyers on the nature and role of dignity in relation to human rights. The aim is to study the philosophical foundations and legal aspects of human dignity, to highlight the conceptual foundations of dialogue and the co-existence of human dignity and human rights in modern philosophical and legal discussions. The polysemy and polymorphism of human dignity is combined with a wealth of concepts of dignity, especially in modern constitutional jurisprudence and the practice of constitutionalism, and a unified theoretical basis for the relationship between individual dignity and human rights. The author used general and specific research methods, including methods of dialectics, inductive-deductive analysis, legal hermeneutics and legal engineering and a discursive approach, critical rationalism, and legal realism. Conclusions: dignity as a philosophical and legal category in modern discussions has several of the most important hypostases, reflecting the fundamental categorical meaning: a) the category of ethics and humanistic understanding of man; b) a legal category with a significant variety of legal forms of consolidation at the international, supranational and domestic levels, in the branches of legal regulation; c) a historically changeable category, affecting both the evolution of ethics and law, the legal status of individuals. The article proposes four approaches to the relationship between human rights and human dignity, which are based on four concepts of human dignity: 1) dignity as a gift and heritage; 2) dignity as a social achievement and social honor; 3) dignity as human capacity; 4) dignity as human potential.