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Encyclopedia of Renaissance Philosophy pp 1–5Cite as

Human Dignity in Renaissance Philosophy

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Abstract

The “dignity of man” concerns the human condition and what sets humans apart from other creatures on earth and in the heavens. The idea had origins in ancient Greek and Roman literature and later added the biblical story of creation from the Old Testament, which became central to the concept in the Renaissance. A number of literary motifs characterize the “dignity of man” such as the idea that man is a microcosm of the universe, the praise of the human body and its parts including the erect posture of humans with the face looking towards the heavens, and the lists of accomplishments or feats of exemplary men and women. The free will or choice that humans have to “shape” or “determine” their nature becomes the most important aspect of the Renaissance dignity of man and woman for humanists in the 1500s and for later generations of scholars especially after the 1800s.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS, Canada

    Lyndan Warner

Authors
  1. Lyndan Warner
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Correspondence to Lyndan Warner .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Philosophy a. Cultural Heritage, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia Dept. of Philosophy a. Cultural Heritage, Venezia, Italy

    Marco Sgarbi

Section Editor information

  1. Italian Studies, School of Modern Languages and Cultures, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK

    David A. Lines

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Warner, L. (2018). Human Dignity in Renaissance Philosophy. In: Sgarbi, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Renaissance Philosophy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02848-4_191-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02848-4_191-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-02848-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-02848-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Religion and PhilosophyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Humanities

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