Considérations générales sur le concept de dignité avec application par rapport au roman « Eugénie Grandet » d’Honoré de Balzac

Abstract

The concept of human dignity has undergone significant evolution over time. First came the idea of “dignitas”, conceived by the great ancient thinkers who associated dignity with the notions of rank and honor, attributing to it an extrinsic value tied to a person’s social status. Then, the philosophical roots of the concept expanded, giving rise to an indisputable religious vision, namely “Imago Dei”—according to which man is created “in the image of God,” and the human being possesses an intrinsic dignity by birth. The modern era brings with it a significant reversal of the situation, attempting to “eradicate” the old interpretations related to the concept of human dignity, endowing it with an irrefutable universal value. Nevertheless, countless paradoxes and tensions arise, placing the concept in a constantly shifting position. This paper aims, to address the universality of dignity, through a brief analysis of conceptual evolution, extending theoretical reflection through the lens of a concrete literary analysis of "Eugénie Grandet" by Honoré de Balzac.

Cuvinte-cheie: concept, demnitate, statut, valoare, intrinsec, extrinsesc, universalitate

REZUMAT

Conceptul de demnitate umană cunoaşte o evoluţie semnificativă de-a lungul timpului. Mai intâi, apare ideea de „dignitas”, zămislită de marii gânditori antici care au asociat demnitatea cu noţiunile de rang şi onoare, atribuindu-i o valoare extrinsecă ce vizează statutul social al persoanei. Apoi, rădăcinile filosofice ale conceptului se extind, dând naştere unei viziuni religioase incontestabile, şi anume - „Imago Dei” - potrivit căreia omul este creaţia „după chipul lui Dumnezeu”, iar fiinţa umană posedă o demnitate intrisecă prin naştere. Epoca modernă aduce cu sine o răsturnare considerabilă de situaţie, încercând eliminarea  vechilor interpretări legate de conceptul de demnitate umană, conferindu-i o valoare universală irefutabilă. Cu toate acestea, nenumărate paradoxuri şi tensiuni intervin, plasând conceptul într-o postură continuu fluidă. Lucrarea dată îşi propune, printr-o analiză scurtă a evoluţiei conceptuale, să abordeze universalitatea demnităţii, extinzând reflecţia teoretică prin prisma unei analize literare concrete - „Eugénie Grandet” de Honoré de Balzac.

LANGUAGES OF PUBLICATION

French (main text and corpus) and Latin (some units of the main text)

TITLE IN ENGLISH

Overview of the Concept of Dignity with Application to the Novel "Eugenie Grandet" by Honoré de Balzac

UDC: 87.228.1

REFERENCES

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Received: March 7, 2026 | Reviewed: March 22, 2026 | Accepted for publication: March 24, 2026 

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