Revisiting the dignity of the human person in times of the development of fundamental social rights (education and labor): contributions of Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola

Abstract

Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola developed the idea that man can ascend in the chain of creatures by exercising his intellectual abilities which would guarantee the dignity of human existence in his earthly life. This school of thought contributed to the understanding of the dignity of the human person in international agreements, as well as in the Brazilian Constitution of 1988. Moreover, respecting the dignity of the human person is the first step in guaranteeing other fundamental social rights, but, in the Brazilian context, there is a visible confrontation in its importance, especially in the area of education and labor. Furthermore, the approval of the Brazilian labor reform (Law n. 13.467/2017) shattered the labor protection system and unfortunately created the institute of “volunteer professors” in higher education. Such situations promote a deep social inequality in Brazil’s Democratic State of Law through the deconstruction of fundamental social rights.