Jan Paweł II zagadnieniu pracy ludzkiej poświęcił wiele miejsca i uwagi. Przypomniał stanowisko Kościoła katolickiego na temat pracy w oparciu o naukę Jezusa Chrystusa i tradycję religijną. „Aktywność ludzka, jak pochodzi od człowieka, tak też ku niemu się skierowuje. Człowiek bowiem pracując, nie tylko przemienia rzeczy i społeczność, lecz doskonali też samego siebie. Uczy się wielu rzeczy, swoje zdolności rozwija, wychodzi z siebie i ponad siebie. Jeżeli się dobrze pojmuje ten wzrost, jest on wart więcej aniżeli zewnętrzne bogactwa, jakie można zdobyć (...) Stąd normą aktywności ludzkiej jest to, żeby zgodnie z planem Bożym i wolą Bożą odpowiadać prawdziwemu dobru rodzaju ludzkiego i pozwolić człowiekowi na realizowanie i wypełnianie pełnego swojego powołania bądź indywidualnie, bądź społecznie” (Sobór Watykański II, Konstytucja duszpasterska o Kościele w świecie współczesnym, Gaudium et spes, nr 35). Napisał osobną encyklikę (Laborem exercens) odnośnie do pracy człowieka. W jego dziełach znajdujemy podkreślenie wartości pracy ludzkiej, jak i nieporównywalnej godności pracującego człowieka. Papież wskazuje na dar pracy, dzięki której człowiek zgodnie z zamierzeniem Boga może nie tylko przekształcać przyrodę i świat, ale przede wszystkim realizować ziemskie jak i nadprzyrodzone powołanie. Zwraca uwagę na indywidualny oraz na społeczny wymiar pracy ludzkiej, gdzie ten drugi umożliwia człowiekowi realizację dobra wspólnego.
EN
John Paul II devoted a lot of space and attention to the issue of human work. He reminded the attitude of the Catholic Church to the subject of work based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and the religious tradition. “Human activity is for the benefit of human beings, proceeding from them as it does. When they work, not only do they transform matter and society, they also perfect themselves. They learn, develop their faculties, emerging from and transcending themselves. Rightly understood, this kind of growth is more precious than any kind of wealth that can be amassed (...) Here then is the norrn for human activityto harmonize with the authentic interests of the human race, in accordance with God's will and design, and to enable people as individuals and as members of society to pursue and fulfil their total vocation” (Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et spes, No. 35). He wrote a separate encyclical (Laborem exercens) regarding human work. In his works, we find an emphasis on the value of human labor and the incomparable dignity of a working man. The Pope indicates that having the gift of work people can not only transform nature and the world, but above all, realize the God's earthly and supernatural vocation. It draws attention to the individual and social dimension of human work, where the latter enables man to realize the common good.
The problematics of work gained special significance in the period of political transformation in Poland at the end of the last century. The changes taking place at that time caused, among others, a change in approach to work as a value. The article attempts to answer the question of how the processes of Christian education can support a person in discovering the value of work. The second question is whether discovering the value of work is conducive to achieving humanity and life success. The thesis of the article is the belief that if we are able to give work a humanistic meaning – in terms of the serving good and human development – and, if we manage to transfer its virtues to the religious plane, its value that favours life success will be seen. In discovering this value, much can be brought about by religion that reveals new life and development perspectives for humans.
PL
Problematyka pracy nabrała szczególnego znaczenia w okresie transformacji ustrojowej w Polsce pod koniec minionego stulecia. Dokonujące się wtedy przemiany spowodowały m.in. zmianę podejścia do pracy jako wartości. Artykuł podejmuje próbę odpowiedzi na pytanie o to, jak procesy wychowania chrześcijańskiego mogą wspomagać osobę w odkrywaniu wartości pracy. Z pytaniem tym wiąże się drugie, czy odkrywanie wartości pracy sprzyja osiąganiu pełni człowieczeństwa oraz życiowego sukcesu. Tezą artykułu jest przekonanie, że o ile potrafimy nadać pracy znaczenie humanistyczne – w rozumieniu służby dobru i rozwojowi człowieka – a nadto, jeśli zdołamy przenieść jej walory na płaszczyznę religijną, to się okaże, że zostanie dostrzeżona jako wartość, która sprzyja odnoszeniu życiowego sukcesu. W odkrywanie tej wartości wiele może wnieść religia odsłaniająca przed człowiekiem nowe perspektywy jego życia i rozwoju.
The author subjects to revision the economic liberalism supporters’ views, according to which there is no room for universal moral norms in the area of economy. The conception of homo economicus accepted in economy and the exclusive rule of profit are a manifestation of reductionism. The conviction that the free competition – free market – acts mechanically and impersonally and solves all economic-social problems in the best way is basically incorrect. In free competition there are positive and negative elements. Free competition – “yes, but what kind?” In the article a possibly complete picture of man is shown. Man is a reasonable creature, he is internally free and able to recognize good and evil (owing to his conscience) and owing to this he is the most perfect being in the created world. In his nature, man is a social being (ens sociale); a spiritual-bodily unity; he is not completely actualized but he is open to development; he is a religious and working creature (laborem exercens, homo economicus); he is able to do good, devote oneself to others, to build just – albeit not ideal –systems: legal, cultural, social and economic. But man is also able to do evil: to kill others, to steal, to lie, to wage wars, to commit acts of terrorism and of genocide, to build concentration camps, to manipulate the needs and mentality of whole societies and to enslave others by means of mass media – that is to form a one-dimension man. In the theological-biblical language this is called sinfulness of the human nature. And finally, man is capable of – as H. Marcuse writes – “scientific idiotism”. The highest value is the inborn, n a t u r a l, dignity of the human person, which is pointed to by his mind, inner freedom and conscience. Man is created in God’s image (imago Dei). Christ’s incarnation and redemption of man show his s u p e r n a t u r a l dignity. This is theological-biblical justification. Also philosophical (rational) justification is given. The former one is binding for believers, and the latter is for unbelievers. In the Catholic social teaching both justifications are given. The ontic structure of the human person in itself gives rise to obligations, it is the highest norm. It is defined in the following form: the human person should be respected for himself, because he is a person, and not for any other reason (persona est affirmanda propter se ipsam). The very human person, his dignity, is the fundamental norm of morality that is searched for. The Decalogue, objective and universal moral norms as principles show how to respect and protect the human person. It is not recognizing and complying with moral norms and human rights for themselves that is meant here – art for the art’s sake (pure formalism) – but protection of one’s own dignity and the dignity of every other person. Both moral norms as principles and human rights have been discovered slowly, step by step, but regressions also occur; this especially happened in the 20th and at the beginning of the 21st century. Human persons are the subjects of all communities – the family, the nation, the universal human society (familiae humanae), production and service institutions. The communities do not exist by themselves, but human persons are their foundation. Human persons, and not various systems, are the subject of any activity, for the systems are not persons or super-persons – Super Ego. Hence the thesis put forward by some economists that the system is ruled by an invisible hand is absurd. In human rights three elements are distinguished: their source, contents and protection. These constitute an integral whole. However, identifying a part with the whole (pars pro toto) is a logical mistake. The debate about man’s right to work can be solved after removing this logical mistake and introducing a new term: “the right for work”; showing that work is one of man’s fundamental needs, that it is a universal phenomenon, has a multi-aspectual dimension of values. Work is an anthropological (personal), moral, social, cultural, historical and economic value. Together with the multidimensional value of work the multidimensional evil of unemployment can be seen. There have been various economic models, even in capitalism. After the fall of socialism the thesis is proclaimed that capitalism is the only alternative (logical quantifier). Recognizing the priority of the real capital over work treated as a tool and commodity bought in the so-called work market is the essential feature of capitalism. John Paul II perceives numerous positive elements in capitalism, but he also sees a few negative ones: “We have found out that the thesis saying that after the defeat of real socialism capitalism remains the only model (logical quantifier) of economic organization is unacceptable.” He does not suggest another model, but generally he states that it is “… a society in which there are: freedom of work, enterprise and participation” that is meant here. He adds: “Economy that does not take into consideration the ethical dimension and does not attempt to serve the good of man – each man and the whole man – in fact does not even deserve the name of «economy» understood as reasonable and benevolent management of material resources”. Although he sees positive elements in the process of globalization, he puts forward an imperative demand to base it on the principle of the dignity of the human person and his rights, and the good of the whole human family (familiae humanae). In the area of economy “ … in the field of economy nobody may insult the human dignity without a punishment, which dignity God himself respects greatly” (Leo XIII).
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