Evolution of Matter and Spirit, Rediscovering Slowacki’s Mysticism and Teilhard de Chardin’s Theology

Abstract

Both – Juliusz Słowacki and Teilhard de Chardin – despite difference of almost a century, had their original and controversial idea – to combine catholic theological thought and theory of evolution into an integral philosophical project.

Słowacki, the nineteen century Polish poet and mystic, one of the leading personas in the Polish messianic movement created “genesian philosophy”, in which the processes of life-world and living spirits are described in the terms of theory of evolution. Prior to the publication of Darwin’s On The Origin of Species, and with no-doubt partly inspired by Lamarckism it was innovative and original approach, in which all the Life, human-beings are undergoing the process of evolution which aim is the divinization of living beings, and the emergence of Solar Jerusalem.

This philosophical, mystical idea corresponds very well with the Catholic theologian and paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, who tried to build the bridge between Catholic theology and modern scientific discoveries. Both of them, assumed the certain destination of evolutionary process (which stands against contemporary accounts), the final realization of Life itself – Solar Jerusalem or Christ OMEGA. They both have tried to abolish the dual concept of body and soul – toward the integral and processual concept of (human) being, constituted by the evolutionary (and spiritual) process.