Moral Autonomy and Human Dignity: A Comparative Ethical Study of Immanuel Kant and Rabindranath Tagore

This paper undertakes a comparative ethical analysis of Immanuel Kant’s concept of moral autonomy and Rabindranath Tagore’s vision of human dignity. Kant grounds autonomy in the rational capacity of the will to legislate universal moral law, establishing dignity as intrinsic and unconditional. Tagore, by contrast, articulates an ethical humanism rooted in spiritual freedom, creative self-realization, and relational harmony. By placing these perspectives in dialogue, the study highlights convergences and divergences concerning autonomy, moral motivation, and the nature of ethical life, proposing a richer framework for contemporary intercultural ethics.