Historical preconditions for the development of “the right to a personal identity” in Western philosophy

Abstract

Any discussion on a person’s right to identity ought to start with a study of the content of a person’s identity. While ascertaining the essence of a person’s identity, the author was inclined to think that the development of a personal identity as a permanent concept was promoted by the genesis of the human dignity, individuality, autonomy and personality of a person. It is human dignity, the manifestation of which, inter alia, is to be found in the person’s identity, which forms the basis of its legal protection, transforming the identity of a person into legal value and, accordingly, creating the right of a person to identity. Thus the article provides a legally philosophical insight into the historical circumstances in which the concept of personal identity arose, and that are essential for a comprehensive modern understanding of the concept.