Grishin V.V. Human: essence, duty, and freedom

Abstract: This article examines the human essence and its ontological foundations, through the prism of interrelation between freedom and duty, faith and reason. The author determines two concepts of human essence: inside the actual human, as well as outside. It is noted that in our times a new type of human is being formed – human without essence; certain features of such human are being revealed; attention is focused on the processes of dehumanization characteristic to the contemporary society, as well as on the danger of idealization of Medieval times, and improperness of noncritical approach to history. Conclusion is made that taking of human essence outside (delegation of it to God, Absolute idea, etc.) gives birth to a person of duty, who strives to carry out the given to him essence from outside, and limit his freedom. A similar type of human we can observe in Medieval culture. A second type of human essence – is inside human; and initially it implies a freer human.

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