The typical functioning of humans within the physical and biotic aspects of reality

Abstract

In die moderne wetenskaplike bedeling word eensydig-reduksionistiese benaderings dikwels aangetref. Dergelike sienings strewe daarna om die skepping slegs te verduidelik in terme van die een of ander aspek daarvan. Alhoewel sulke benaderings inderdaad iets binne die skepping raaksien wat positief waardeer moet word, bevry ? skriftuurlik-geïnformeerde perspektief ons van die skeeftrekkings wat in eensydig-verabsoluterende ismiese sienings aanwesig is, soos die fisikalisme en biologisme.
Die implikasies van ? Bybelse uitgangspunt word toegelig met verwysing na dominante denk-strominge insake die “Big Bang” teorie en met vermelding van ? aantal bykomende probleme wat die hedendaagse neo-Darwinisme konfronteer. Dit blyk dat Christene wat die weg van teïstiese evolusie volg probeer verklaar hoe God rigting kan gee aan rigtinglose prosesse. Gewoonlik loop hierdie benadering uit op die stygende lyn van fisikalisme, (neo-)vitalisme wat dan meestal eindig in ? emergensie-evolusionistiese bena dering. ? Alternatiewe siening verstaan mense in terme van ? menigvuldigheid aspek-matige perspektiewe wat ook ? poging aanwend om die unieke wyse waarop die mens in hierdie verskillende werklikheidsaspekte funksioneer te verantwoord. Die implikasie hiervan is dat onderskeidinge benodig word wat voort vloei uit ? Bybels-gefundeerde wysgerige antropologie. In terme van hierdie perspektiewe word ook aandag gegee aan die tipies fisiese funksie van lewende entiteite, aan die antinomiese aard van die fisikalisme, en in die lig van die tipiese fisiese funksie van lewende dinge ook aan die ontogenetiese uniekheid van die mens heid.

Within the modern scientific dispensation one often encounters onesided and reductionist approaches, theoretical views which attempt to explain creation merely in terms of one or another aspect. Although such approaches do see something within creation, something we have to appreciate, a biblically informed perspective liberates us from the distortions present in such reifying ismic views, such as physicalism and biologism.
The implications of such a biblical starting-point are articulated with reference to dominant current trends of thought regarding the Big Bang theory and with reference to a number of additional problems confronting present-day neo-Darwinian views not considered in the previous article.
It appears that Christians who explore the possibility of theistic evolution, trying to explain how God can direct an undirected random process, move along the line of physicalism and (neo-)vitalism and mostly end with an orientation to emergent-evolutionism. Alternatively human beings are understood in terms of a multiaspectual perspective which also attempts to elucidate the unique ways in which they function within the various aspects of reality. This entails that distinctions are required flowing from a biblically informed philosophical anthropology. In terms of this perspective
specific attention is given to the typical physical function of living entities, the antinomic nature of physicalism, and, in the light of the typical biotic function of human beings, to the ontogenetic uniqueness of humankind.