Dignitas humana i humanitas christiana w poradniku medytacji Diega de Estella O wzgardzie świata i próżności jego w przekładzie Augustyna Kochańskiego (1611)

Abstract

The subject of study is human dignity and humanitas christiana interpreted by a Spanish Franciscan Diego de Estella (1524–1578) in his work O wzgardzie świata i próżności jego translated into Polish by another Franciscian Augustyn Kochański (1568–1632). The book is a meditation guide. In spite of the ascetic character of the recommended meditations and Medieval origin of their central idea being de contemptu mundi, the image of the world presented in the book conveys the Renaissance humanitas propagating the rebirth of the humanity through Jesus Christ (humanitas christiana). Spiritual rebirth of a human being is hereby identified with improving oneself by means of asceticism. The most noble humanitas and the most perfect form of human dignity is revealed through love for God, through the divine element within the human soul. A human having been given a universal mind is capable of fully developing his or her humanitas, in this way establishing union with God, achieving spiritual perfection and eluding inferior forms of life infected by sin. The analysis is made within a relatively broad comparative context. It includes Mateusz Kuligowski’s translation of the work by M. P. Besse Heraklita chrześcijańskiego albo grzesznie pokutującego lamenta (1694); Wojciech Pakostensis Półgęskowic’s translation of a Spanish Jesuit and teologist Francisco Arias’ work entitled Traktat o duchowym postępku (1610); St. Augustine’s Confessions, as well as Thomas à Kempis’ The Imitation of Christ. The study proves that in the times when the Church stressed the futility of life and scorned the vanities of the world, the intellectuals of Renaissance and Baroque put a lot of effort in creating the theory of human dignity and humanitatis by propagating the idea of human rebirth through Christ. Humans having been bestowed with reason and dignity coming from God should turn away from the world’s vanities and follow the imitationis Christi way.