In the dissertation entitled Ethical Dimension of Interpersonal Relations in the Light of the Personalistic Ethics of Karol Wojtyła and the Theology of the Body of John Paul II., we consider the understanding of the interplay of anthropology and ethics as developed by Karol Wojtyła and John Paul II in his Personalist Anthropology and Ethics and his Theology of the Body. We present the context in which the philosophy and theology of Karol Wojtyła and John Paul II were formed. We have elaborated on his encounter with John of the Cross (1542-1591), which marked the continuation of his studies. In this context, we focused on his dissertation, in which he dealt with the works of St John of the Cross. We have also outlined the modern philosophical view of man, which also influenced Wojtył's thought, highlighting Francis Bacon (1561-1626) and René Descartes (1596-1650), and in more detail Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) and Max Scheler (1874-1928), who shaped their thought on the basis of modern philosophical premises, which influenced the modern view of man. We then turn to Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), who had an important influence on the development of scholastic philosophy and theology, and thus on the development of Wojtył's philosophical and theological thought.
Through the analysis of philosophical and theological currents, we have highlighted the sources that influenced the formation of the specific philosophy of Karol Wojtyła, who analysed and combined different philosophical concepts, focusing in particular on man as a person and the related ethics of human action. His desire to use philosophy to know and understand the depths of the human person is clearly evident in his philosophical works, in which anthropology and ethics are at the centre. He saw in philosophy the possibility of understanding and rationally affirming human existence, which allowed for a deeper understanding of the specificity of the human person. By studying Wojtyła's philosophical works, we wanted to show how he integrates classical ontological categories and the phenomenological method. The integration of these two methodological approaches has contributed to an integrative view of anthropology and ethics, which Wojtyła believes is crucial for understanding the complex reality of human life. Wojtyła is opposed to the possibility of separating anthropology and ethics into two completely separate fields, but he is not opposed to the possibility of focusing on one rather than the other in certain circumstances. This is why anthropology is important for a holistic view of the content and method of ethics. We then explored the way in which Wojtyła grounds his moral theory, which is essentially a critique of Scheler's and Kant's ethics and an embrace of Thomistic philosophy. First, we have considered the question of man in the world of good and values. Then we looked at the way in which the normativity of ethics and the responsibility of the person are related, and then we looked at how he treats the relationship between duties and values, and the norm of morality and the personalist norm. We have looked at how John Paul II intertwines natural law and the personalist norm in his encyclical Veritatis Splendor. In this context, we have also presented Wojtyła's view of love in relation to the dignity of the human person. Wojtyła says that the interpersonal relationship must be a constant affirmation of the dignity of the person, otherwise it turns into utilitarian exploitation. This is also the starting point of his theological anthropology in Theology of the Body, in which the Pope treats man as a person from a theological point of view. Through an in-depth hermeneutical analysis of Theology of the Body, we wanted to find out to what extent the theological anthropology is in continuity with his philosophical anthropology. In doing so, we have shown that John Paul II treats man as the image and likeness of God, and in this context, he shows what the meaning of the body is in its original, that is, creational and historical state, which he does through an analysis of the Song of Songs and Tobit. This is a central idea in the Christian moral ethos, which emphasises the importance of sacrifice and self-sacrificing love, following the example of Jesus Christ, since love is not centred on self-giving but on selflessness, the giving of oneself without expecting anything in return. In the context of moral theology, interpersonal self-giving involves nurturing relationships with others based on love, compassion and service.
In this way, we wanted to explore how the concept of sacrificial love presented by John Paul II in the catecheses of Theology of the Body is grounded in the philosophical anthropology and ethics of Karol Wojtyła. In doing so, we have clearly shown the continuity between Karol Wojtyła's philosophy and John Paul II's Theology of the body, and we have evaluated his contribution to an adequate understanding of the person, interpersonal relationships and the meaning of personal morality.
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