Michelangelo and Human Dignity

The anthropology of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) is studied with special referecne to his frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, both the Ceiling (1508-1512) and on the altar wall: The Last Judgement (1536-1541). The analyses of the frescoes were done with the help of Florentine Neo-Platonic philosophy, which is the philosophical background of Michelangelo. The Neo-Platonic concepts such as the ascension, hierrachical structure, concept of beauty, and the image-likeness of God are evident in all the basic works by the artists, especially in the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, which are studied in this work. The author was born in Kerala, India. he undertook postgraduate atudies in Malayalam Literature, Ghandhian Thought and Philosophy from a number of universities in India. His PHd is from the Urban University in Rome. At present he teaches Philosophy at St Joseph's Pontifical Institute in Alwaye, India.