An interview with Viktor Karlík.
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At the end of 1981, the People’s Republic of Poland again experienced a serious political crisis, which the governing Polish United Workers’ Party (PSDS) tried to find a way out of by negotiating with opposition forces, headed by the Solidarity union movement and representatives of the Polish Catholic Church. Ultimately, the PSDS decided to resolve the situation by force and, early in the morning on 13 December, General Wojciech Jaruzelski declared a state of emergency in a speech on radio and television which applied to the entire country. With this decision, all reforms leading to liberalisation were suspended. Poland went into international isolation and the evident stagnation of the communist regime was prolonged by several more years. One of the few, who according to many saved the honour of Poles at this difficult time, was the member of the Council of State Ryszard Reiff. The author looks at this man’s life story, which is full of political upheaval and reversal of power.
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Ludvík Zifčák joined the State Security agency in 1982. He later worked his way up to becoming an active officer. Through a number of fateful coincidences, he ended up playing an important role in the collapse of the communist regime, which he still regrets to this day. As a provocateur using the false identity of a “student” called “Růžička,” he hung around with opposition-minded students, whose leader he wanted to become. He also stood at the front of the demonstration march held on 17 November 1989. That was when he played his “fateful role” as the “dead student Martin Šmíd,” which substantially accelerated the course of events, even if they went in a direction that Zifčák had not anticipated. Study includes a detailed view of the circles Zifčák moved in, his activities, and the system in which the State Security agency operated.
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Group Captain Otakar Černý was the last surviving member of the 311th Czechoslovak bomber squadron, which served in the ranks of RAF during the Second World War. Despite high losses and his minimal chances of survival, he never abandoned his post as a radio-telegraph operator in a Wellington bomber. Even aft er he was shot down and captured, he continued to be an active anti-Nazi fighter, as illustrated by his repeated escapes from prison camps. With luck and with the aid of an appeal by the British government, he escaped being sentenced to death, which meant he was able to return to his country after its liberation. He served for three years in Czechoslovakia’s air force before the advent of another form of totalitarianism in this country. Like many others who served with Western armies, Otakar Černý was also arrested and condemned, but he managed to escape from a penal camp in Dolní Jiřetín. After a number of adventures, he managed to make his way back to England, where his wife, son, recognition and work already awaited him. Group Captain Otakar Černý lived out his days in Cambridge, where he died on 14 October 2009.
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Keywords: evolution; creationism; intelligent design theory; neo-Darwinism; Catholic Church; Christianity
The paper presents the commentaries and opinions on the meeting of pope Benedict XVI with his former disciples which took place on 1-3 September 2006 in Castel Gandolfo. During the meeting the attitude of Roman Catholic Church to evolutionary theory was discussed. Some interpreters suggested, for instance, that this debate may change the official position of Church on this matter.
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Keywords: intelligent design theory; Darwinism; creationism; NOMA principle; science education; methodological naturalism; metaphysical naturalism
Author takes into account various themes concerning intelligent design theory. The subject of his considerations are: scientific value of intelligent design theory; distinction between metaphysical and methodological naturalism and its role in the scientific practice as well as its meaning for the scientists who believes in God; relationship between science and religion on the example of NOMA (Non-Overlapping MAgisteria) principle which was formulated by Stephen Jay Gould; and finally the issue of teaching science – for example, whether also creationist concepts should be discussed in science classes.
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Keywords: argument from design; Michael J. Behe; irreducible complexity; Darwinism; intelligent design theory; bacterial flagellum; Charles Darwin; William Paley
Author points out the flaws of Michael Behe’s concept of irreducible complexity of biochemical systems. He believes that systems regarded by Behe as irreducible complex may be reduced to simpler structures. He offers also a possible way of evolutionary development of such systems, namely the mechanism of cooption, i.e. taking over components which perform some functions selected by natural selection and forming from them a new, more complex systems which also perform functions selected by natural selection. Furthermore, according to the author, basically Behe’s argument is the same as discredited long time ago – as Miller claims – argument of ninetieth century biologist and theologian William Paley.
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Keywords: irreducible complexity; Michael J. Behe; emergence; Darwinism; intelligent design theory; self-organization
It is the criticism of Michael Behe’s concept of irreducible complexity. Author believes that Behe presents a false dichotomy of possible explanations of the origin of biochemical complexity: Darwinism-intelligent design. According to the author, biochemical complexity may be also an outcome of self-organization. He presents arguments that it is indeed the case.
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Keywords: Christoph Schönborn; George V. Coyne; John Paul II; Benedict XVI; Catholic Church; neo-Darwinism; creationism; soul
A commentary on the papers of cardinal Christoph Schönborn, „Odnajdywanie zamysłu w przyrodzie”, Filozoficzne Aspekty Genezy 2005/2006, vol. 2/3, pp. 19-22; and George V. Coyne SJ, „Przypadek jako metoda Boskiego stwarzania”, Filozoficzne Aspekty Genezy 2005/2006, vol. 2/3, pp. 39-44.
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Keywords: irreducible complexity; bacterial flagellum; blood clotting cascade; intelligent design; homology; Darwinism
In the paper author presents briefly the idea of intelligent design, with the special emphasis on his own concept of irreducible complexity of biochemical systems. He points out the misunderstandings and addresses various objections to his concept, especially regarding his examples of irreducible complexity such as bacterial flagellum, blood clotting cascade or mousetrap which is a mechanical counterpart of irreducibly complex biochemical systems. Author is pondering also over the future of intelligent design theory.
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Keywords: John Paul II; Benedict XVI; Catholic Curch; creationism; evolutionary theory; design; purpose
The aim of this paper is to dispel doubts that has grown around the pope John Paul II’s statement in which he allegedly proclaimed his view that the Catholic Church has accepted Darwinian theory of evolution. Cardinal Schönborn, referring to prior statements of the pope, points out what was the real teaching of John Paul II, namely that contrary to neo-Darwinian dogma all observations of nature prove of existence of design or purpose in it. Neo-Darwinians impute similar view to the current pope Benedict XVI claiming that he has no problem with Darwinian evolution. However, according to Schönborn, the Catholic Church holds unambiguous position on this matter: the immanent design found in nature is obvious. Scientific theories that ignore this fact not only do not deserve to be called science but also are an abdication of human intelligence.
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Keywords: information; specified complexity; causal adequacy; inference to the best explanation; necessity; chance; intelligent design
This essay will evaluate competing explanations for the origin of the information necessary to build the first living cell. To do so will require determining what biologists have meant by the term information as it has been applied to biomacromolecules. As many have noted, „information” can denote several theoretically distinct concepts. This essay will attempt to eliminate this ambiguity and to determine precisely what type of information origin-of-life researchers must explain „the origin of.” What follows will first seek to characterize the information in DNA, RNA, and proteins as an explanandum (a fact in need of explanation) and, second, to evaluate the efficacy of competing classes of explanation for the origin of biological information (that is, the competing explanans). Part I will seek to show that molecular biologists have used the term information consistently to refer to the joint properties of complexity and functional specificity or specification. Part II will evaluate competing types of explanation for the origin of the specified biological information necessary to produce the first living system. Part II will critique the causal adequacy of chemical evolutionary theories based on „chance,” „necessity,” and the combination of the two. A concluding part III will suggest that the phenomenon of information understood as specified complexity requires a radically different explanatory approach. In particular, I will argue that our present knowledge of causal powers suggests intelligent design as a better, more causally adequate explanation for the origin of the specified complexity (the information so defined) present in large biomolecules such as DNA RNA, and proteins.
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Keywords: Christoph Schönborn; evolution; creation; Darwinism; science; religion
A commentary on the paper of cardinal Christoph Schönborn, „Odnajdywanie zamysłu w przyrodzie”, Filozoficzne Aspekty Genezy 2005/2006, vol. 2/3, pp. 19-22.
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Keywords: Christoph Schönborn; John Paul II; Benedict XVI; Catholic Church; intelligent design; Darwinism; evolution
A commentary on the paper of cardinal Christoph Schönborn, „Odnajdywanie zamysłu w przyrodzie”, Filozoficzne Aspekty Genezy 2005/2006, vol. 2/3, pp. 19-22.
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Keywords: Christoph Schönborn; Catholic Church; evolution; creation; design; chance
A commentary on the paper of cardinal Christoph Schönborn, „Odnajdywanie zamysłu w przyrodzie”, Filozoficzne Aspekty Genezy 2005/2006, vol. 2/3, pp. 19-22.
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