The Mystical Dimension of Man

We are in an anthropocentric world where man is the measure bf everything. All our undertakings and enterprises draw their meaning and relevance only in so far as they contribute to the happiness and well-being of the humanperson. ThesecondVatican Council teaches,"Believers and unbelieversagree almost unanimously that all things on earth should be ordained to man asto their centre and summit."l At no time in humanhistory hasso much importance been given to the rights and dignity of the humanperson astoday. All the same,we must humbly confess that violence against human beings, 'the desecration and the degradation of the human person continue even today in manyforms, such as, the testing of nuclear bombs, environmental destruction, sale of arms and the arms race. terrorism, . and especially state-sponsored terrorism, religious fundamentalism and fanaticism, tribal wars and ethnic cleansing, discrimination on the basis.of sex and the opressionof women and of the weaker sections of the society, child labour, exploitation of the poorer classes and different forms of neocolonialism. Through these and other crimes human rights are violated, human dignity 15 dowh-trodden and the sanctity of wife is desecrated. We have to go a long way to consider this world fully civilised. In this context we philosophers have a special task or a prophetic role to highlight the rights and dignity of the humanpersonand to condemn in·. ·unequivocal terms the violence that is commited against him. ADd in this context our reflections on the philosophy of man become timely and relevant