Ma`rifat Kalami

Man’s dignity as the basis of human rights and criterion for international and social interaction is of particular importance in different fields of human sciences. Allamah Tabatabaii, who is regarded one of the unique scientific figures in the world of Islam, generally divides man’s dignity into genetic and acquired dignity. Using a descriptive-analytical method, the present paper elaborates on acquired dignity, criterion of dignity and its most important features in Allamah’s view. In fact, acquired dignity is man’s attainment to existential perfections and the state of nearness to God, the only way of which is God-orientation. Therefore, the more conscious and devoted man’s servitude towards God, the more he attains value and dignity. Since acquired dignity is attained by man’s voluntary attempts, it is a value matter and man can be proud of it, because man’s evolutionary move is attained gradually. Gradation and gradualness are two other features of acquired dignity.