St. Augustine on the question about the beginning of human life

Augustin (354.-430.) je pitanje o početku ljudskoga života najčešće razmatrao istodobno s ostalim problemima filozofske i teološke naravi, uključujući podrijetlo duše, baštinjenje istočnoga grijeha, uskrsnuće nerođene djece, sakrament krštenja i pobačaj. Upravo kao i mnogi filozofi prije njega, Augustin je vjerovao da je pitanje o početku ljudskoga života kao i ono o trenutku animacije zapravo jedno te isto pitanje. Početak je ljudskog života označen ulijevanjem žive i razumske duše u materijalno tijelo. Augustin je nastojao otkriti dolazi li do animacije u času začeća, u vrijeme oblikovanja, to jest kad se fetus počne primjetno micati, ili na nekom sljedećem stupnju fetalnog razvitka.Augustine (354-430) mainly considered the question about when human life begins simultaneously with other problems of a philosophical and theological nature including the origin of the human soul, the transmission of original sin, the resurrection of the unborn, the sacrament of baptism and abortion. Just as many philosophers before him, Augustine believed that the question about the beginning of human life and that about the time of animation were really one and the same question. The beginning of human life was identified with the infusion of a living, rational soul into the material body. Augustine was interested in discovering whether animation took place at the moment of conception, at the time of formation, that is when the fetus began to noticeably move, or at some subsequent stage of fetal development