The development of natural sciences and issues of human embryo animation

Abstract

The analysis undertaken in the article was aimed at tracing the development of natural sciences within the frames of the issues of the moment of animation at which the human body was granted a spiritual element. It was considered that this caesura was of utmost meaning as it was evinced that “animated” being in the womb of a mother was to be regarded as a person. The given analysis points to the fundamental meaning of natural sciences in the context of showing the confutation of reasoning of Thomas Aquinas and Aristotle concerning embryogenesis. Since then, the discourse on the border of humanity has been conducted in a slightly different manner being granted a strong empirical basis. A special meaning in the reflection had the development of microscopy which made the mystery of human creation no longer a matter of suppositions. The secondary aim of the thesis was an attempt to answer the question whether the approach towards embryogenesis elaborated by the empirical sciences influenced the Christian vision of the human being.