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If biological evolution explains all that there is to explain about man, how

can we hold that the immortality of the soul constitutes an essential

difference between men and non-human animals?

Let us begin answering the question but putting itself to question: has

biological evolution explained all? In the first place, while it is safe to affirm

that studies continue to furnish mounting support for some theory of

evolution, the debate continues about the pace and mechanisms of

evolution!" #or this reason, rather than thetheory of evolution, we should

spea$ of several theories of evolution%" &hile basing themselves on

observed data, each brings to the table their own notions of natural

philosophy" 'ence the existence of materialist or reductionist visions that

deny the existence of the soul and the omnipotent explain capacity of

biology"

#rom a (atholic standpoint, while )ius *II in his +ncyclical HumaniGenerismade it clear that there was no opposition between evolution and

the faith, it must be said the place of human beings in the history of this

evolving universe, as it has been charted by modern sciences, can only be

seen in its complete reality in the light of faith" hus, while the sciences of

experimental observation describe with increasing precision the evolution of

man, the emergence of the soul, which constitutes an ontological leap, can

never be the ob.ect of this $ind of observation/" #or this reason, )ope )ius

*II spea$s of the human body as coming from pre-existent and living

matter, while insisting that souls are immediately created by 0od

1

"he door, then, is open to biological evolution in so far as it

recogni2es its limits" 3theist philosopher homas 4agel in his Mind and

Cosmosis a good stepping stone in that he puts into question the reductionist

account of life 5 he mentions, for example, the problems of probability67

1I4+843I943L'+9L90I(3L(9I;;I94, (ommunion and ;tewardship: 'uman)ersonsa (reated in the Image of 0od, 6"2>6, /"5 )I=;*II, 'umani 0eneris, 6"

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his reflection on *hat is it li+e to be a bat,%can also help in offering a more

integral, non reductionist view of the human being"

3 scientific vision that is aware of its proper limits will duly recogni2e

that no matter what empirical advances are made, the existence of a soul and

its immortality remains forever out of its grasp: be in favor, be it against"

)hilosophical and theological insights are needed" 4agelCs argument in favor

of the existence of the non-material bases for consciousness, or the mind,

can allow us to reflect upon the distinct levels of consciousness between

animals and humans and ultimately arrive at an 3ristotelian conception of

the rational soul" his finally is to be complemented by the theological pillar

of all (atholic anthropology: man was creating in the image and li$eness of

0odD" he spiritual nature of man, then, lends to the affirmation of the

immortality of the soul7 nevertheless, we must be clear in saying that man

is not a soul only>"

6430+L, ",Mind and cosmos- .hy the materialist neo&/ar.inian conce"tion o natureis almost certainly alse, 4ew Eor$ %B!%, %1"

7 Cfr. NAGEL, T.,Mortal questions, London 1991, 165-180.

8 Cf. Gen1:27-29.9 Summa Theologica, la.75.4.