The dissertation deals with the social and philosophical study of the phenomenon of human dignity and its transformations in modern and postmodern social projects. On the basis of a consistent analysis of the most important historical-philosophical and socio-philosophical interpretations of the problem of human dignity, its essence, regularities of development, methodological, philosophical-anthropological and moral-legal foundations within the modern, as well as global, postindustrial society are found out.
An analysis of the leading works of Western and national philosophers on this problem made it possible to distinguish the negative (loss of identity, authenticity and identity of culture, traditions, life experience, which are inherent in particular groups, peoples, countries) and positive (possibility of free and fast exchange of experiences, to the borders and distances, which contributes to the emergence of the so-called «universal life experience») consequences of the process of globalization of the «living world».
Thus, understanding the concept of human dignity in socio-philosophical discourse, which is based on the understanding of the genesis of this concept and its most significant social practices, has made it possible to identify the main ways to conceptualize the idea of human dignity in the latest socio-philosophical and political-legal discourses. The peculiarities of understanding the problem of human dignity in European and Ukrainian philosophical thought are revealed. The fundamental socio-cultural and methodological meaning of freedom and responsibility in the context of the analysis of the problem of human dignity has been thoroughly investigated; the distinction between paternalistic and dialogically democratic interpretation of free and dignified human life is distinguished.
Further study of understanding the problem of human dignity led us to the need to understand it through the lens of modern philosophy of justice, because without respect for human dignity it is impossible to create a just society. Justice and human dignity are fundamental conditions of human being. The increase in interest and attention to justice is caused by the fact that, despite the development of society, new problems are being added to the old problems that need immediate resolution. Thus, the transformations occurring at the level of government and new communications between the authorities and society require consideration of the further transformation of the concept of human dignity within the modern communicative philosophy, because in the conditions of global communication the individual becomes more free and independent, the boundaries of his personal space are expanded, and argumentative ethics are important grounds for shaping ethics of responsibility and environmental ethics at the present stage of society.
The thesis that the philosophical discourse of freedom and human dignity, as a reflection of the organic synthesis of their universal and individual components, becomes especially relevant during the period of rapid development of global information and communication technologies and «information society» under the conditions of creation of a new virtual reality that influences the basic dimensions of human being. That is why the spread of multiculturalism is an important factor in influencing human existence, when the world is increasingly confronted with the problem of integrating multinational, cultural, religious communities and there is a need for constructive «collective dialogue» on all sides. In these new circumstances, a new discourse emerges about recognition and tolerance as the foundations and manifestations of a worthy human being in the modern world. Here it is necessary to further develop and deepen the thesis that a person reveals himself, his dignity not through himself, but through dialogue, communication with other people. It is about the dependence of self-respect on public’s respect and recognition of a person's successes and achievements. And vice versa – humiliation destroys one's self-esteem, leads to the destruction of one's consciousness and capacity. All this happens on the background of the further advance of technology, rationalism in all spheres of human being, the «lifeworld». Thus, the study of the idea of human dignity in modern and postmodern social projects showed that despite the constant civilizational development of society, the issues of freedom, equality, dignity, recognition, tolerance not only do not lose relevance, but also begin to form new foundations of relationships and understanding of a person in their place in in the modern world already at the global level and new approaches to understanding their impact on the further development of society already at the level of «post-information», «post-economic» and individualism of this society.
