Theological Basis for Human Dignity

This article offers a theological foundation for human dignity as the pillar on which human rights are based. While the starting point is the social teaching of the Catholic Church, the driving force behind it is the work of Francisco de Vitoria, especially his impressive Relectio de Indis, on the fifth centenary of his arrival in Salamanca, which shows how relevant his thinking is today. He addressed the problems of the profound change of era brought about by the globalisation of the “discovery” of new lands and the first complete circumnavigation of the Earth from the perspective of the theology of creation (human beings created in the image of God), proposing the ius gentium, which combines the personalist and communitarian principles. Today, moral theology is also called upon to address the thorny issue of the ethical and legal control of power, through dialogue between revelation and reason, in a technological world where the possibilities for construction and destruction are running wild.