Charles Darwin, »The Descent of Man«: Theological Questioning of Its Method and Arguments

Charles Darwin i njegov znanstvenoistraživački opus dugo su bili kamen spoticanja u odnosima prirodne znanosti i teologije. Postkoncilska katolička teologija napravila je goleme napore u svome kritičkom vrjednovanju i približavanju teoriji evolucije. Za to treba zahvaliti plodovima Drugoga vatikanskog koncila, s jedne strane, te novog društvenog ozračja u kojemu prirodna znanost više nije, barem ne u normalnim okolnostima, podloga svjetovnim ideologijama koje se hrane nadom u skoru propast religije. Imajući na umu te pozitivne pomake u svijesti Crkve, teologije, znanosti i samoga društva autor u ovom radu nastoji teološki vrjednovati neke aspekte Darwinova doprinosa biološkom razumijevanju podrijetla čovjeka. Povod je ovom radu hrvatski prijevod drugog po važnosti Darwinova djela koje nosi naslov »Podrijetlo čovjeka«. Polazeći od tog djela autor se u radu upušta u slojevite teološke analize prirodnog podrijetla čovjeka, čineći to u duhu pozitivnih pomaka u partnerskome dijalogu katoličke teologije i evolucijske biologije. Rad je podijeljen u dva glavna dijela. U prvom se dijelu pobliže predstavlja Darwinovo djelo, tj. hrvatski prijevod »Podrijetla čovjeka«, a zatim se analiziraju neki epistemološki i metodološki aspekti glavnog Darwinova argumenta o podrijetlu čovjeka iz nižih životinjskih oblika. U drugom se dijelu rada tematizira Darwinov argument u svjetlu nekih metafizičko-teoloških načela koja sačinjavaju okosnicu približavanja prirodne evolucije čovjeka i kršćanske vizije stvaranja, uvažavajući katolički nauk o Božjem neposrednom stvaranju duhovne i razumske duše.Charles Darwin and his scientific opus have for some time been a hot potato between the natural sciences and theology. Catholic theology after Second Vatican Council has undertaken great efforts in its critical evaluation to draw closer to the challenges of natural sciences, especially that of the theory of evolution. This change has to thank to the fruits of the Second Vatican Council on the one hand and to a new social environment where natural sciences are no longer, at least not in normal circumstances, the basis for secular ideologies that are fed with the hope of the impending ruin of religion. Keeping in mind the positive move in the consciousness of the Church, theology, science and society itself; the author endeavours in this article to theologically evaluate some aspects of Darwin\u27s contribution to the biological comprehension of the descent of man. The inspiration for this is the Croatian translation of the second most important of Darwin\u27s work entitled »The Descent of Man«. Starting from this work, the author sinks to a layered theological analysis of the natural origins of man, doing so in the spirit of positive steps forward in partner-like dialogue between Catholic theology and evolutionary biology. The article is divided into two major sections. The first gives a detailed presentation of Darwin\u27s work, i.e. the Croatian translation of »The Descent of Man«, and then analyses some epistemological and methodological aspects of Darwin\u27s argument about the descent of man from lower animal kinds. The second part of the article discusses Darwin\u27s argument in light of some metaphysical-theological principles that form the framework to draw closer to the natural evolution of man and the Christian vision of creation, reflecting upon Catholic doctrine on God\u27s immediate creation of human soul