Uczestnictwo – wolność – godność, jako kluczowe kategorie antropologii Jana Pawła II

Abstract

The anthropology of John Paul II is based on a range of notions, around which an image of man and his relation to the world are being built. The paper focuses on three such notions of singular importance: participation, freedom and dignity. Dignity of a human being is an expression of humanity, freedom – as a gift both offered and assigned – is a category through which God Himself shows man His respect while participation is this dimension of co-existence with God and with a fellow human being or a community which originates from the dignity accepted in a free way and respected. Looking today, in the context of the war in Iraq as well as many other military conflicts in numerous places of the world, at the category of participation, freedom and dignity through the prism of the anthropology of Karol Wojtyła, then pope John Paul II, allows us to assume an appropriate distance to the contemporary world. This distance does not mean withdrawing to some safe positions, where it is not necessary to make decisions or avoid responsibility. This distance is indeed required for decisions to be preceded not only by various emotions, but by substantial knowledge about man, who – presented by his Creator with freedom – wishes for true participation, in which his dignity will be respected.