| Abstract | Duhovni ateizam u novije vrijeme zauzima sve više prostora u javnom diskursu te donosi novu paradigmu življenja duhovnosti. Takva tendencija, razrađena u filozofiji pojedinih autora, povlači za sobom nove naglaske antropologije i humanizma, u kojima se naglašava obrana ljudskog duha od iluzija koje donose religija i vjera u Boga. Jedan od tih autora je poznati francuski filozof i ateist André Comte-Sponville. U svojim dijelima, od kojih posebno izdvajamo knjigu Duh ateizma. Uvod u duhovnost bez Boga, obrađuje tri ključna pitanja: Možemo li se lišiti religije? Postoji li Bog? i Kakva duhovnost za ateiste? Njegov je ateizam obilježen kršćanstvom u kojem je odgojen te u tom duhu zagovara vjernost kršćanskim vrijednostima kao što su moral, milosrđe i ljubav. S druge strane, vjeri pretpostavlja nevjeru, a nadi očaj, obrazlažući da vjera i nada čovjeka otuđuju od njega samoga i od sadašnjeg života. On donosi svojih šest argumenata zašto ne vjeruje u Božje postojanje i zašto vjeruje da Bog ne postoji. Na takvim temeljima nastoji izgraditi duhovnost koja je pridržana svakome, neovisno o njegovu religijskom opredjeljenju. U toj razradi naslanja se na kršćanske vrijednosti i budističku filozofiju duhovnoga života. Ovaj doktorski rad podijeljen je u dva velika dijela od kojih prvi, Filozofski koncept duhovnosti bez Boga Andréa Comte-Sponvillea, donosi interpretativno-analitički prikaz duhovnosti bez Boga kako to razumijeva Comte-Sponville, a drugi Teološko-kritička interpretacija duhovnosti bez Boga, sadržava njeno teološko-kritičko promišljanje. Unutar dva osnovna dijela, namjera nam je prikazati i teološko-kritički ispitati temelje na kojima Comte-Sponville gradi moguću duhovnost – život duha, slobodnu od religije i Boga. Sukladno tome rad sadržava osam poglavlja koja se protežu kroz oba dijela rada. Nakon uvoda i kratke biografije o autoru, prvo poglavlje Uvod u razumijevanje duhovnog ateizma uvodi nas u tematiku duhovnog ateizma koji zahtijeva istražiti na koju se tradiciju i autore takav ateizam naslanja te unutar kojih ga ideja možemo prepoznati u svom idejnom začetku. To poglavlje zahtijeva istaknuti i posebnost duhovnog ateizma koji, makar proizašao iz tradicionalnog razumijevanja ateizma, donosi i svoje novo gledište u razumijevanju svijeta i čovjeka. Sintagma »duhovni ateizam« uključuje interpretaciju ateizma Comte-Sponvillea koji nastoji kroz svoj ateizam razvijati ideju duhovnosti bez Boga i religije te unutar toga okvira iznijeti i moguće razumijevanje svijeta i čovjeka. Drugo poglavlje Ključne ideje duhovnog ateizma unutar argumenata za Božju opstojnost našeg analitičkog prikaza ima svrhu prikazati argumente o Božjoj opstojnosti. Comte-Sponville iznosi šest argumenata kojima potkrepljuje svoj ateizam u njegovu negativnome i pozitivnome značenju riječi. Treće poglavlje Ključne ideje duhovnog ateizma Andréa Comte-Sponvillea u trima teologalnim krepostima, nakon argumenata, donosi njegovu osobnu interpretaciju teologalnih kreposti koje uključuju čovjekov odnos spram Boga. U njegovu razumijevanju vjere, nade i ljubavi također prepoznajemo ključne ideje njegova ateizma. Četvrto poglavlje Duhovnost duhovnog ateizma je analitički prikaz duhovnosti bez religije i Boga koja nas zaokuplja u prvom redu kao ideja, a potom i kao moguća praksa. Duhovnost koja želi biti slobodna od religije i Boga daje snažnu kritiku pokušaju da se duhovnost i religija poistovjete. Drugi dio, koji uključuje teološko-kritičku metodu, počinje petim poglavljem Teološkokritički pristup negativnom ateizmu Andréa Comte-Sponvillea u kojemu se bavimo prvim trima argumentima koji, kako drži Comte-Sponville, opravdavaju njegov ateizam u njegovu negativnome značenju. To su: prvi argument - Ontološki, kozmološki i fizikalno-teološki; drugi argument – Slabost iskustva Boga; treći argument – Nerazumljivo objašnjenje. Šesto poglavlje Teološko-kritički pristup pozitivnom ateizmu Andréa Comte-Sponvillea pristupa drugim trima argumentima koji su prema Comte-Sponvilleu opravdanje njegova pozitivnoga ateizma. To su: Četvrti argument - Prekomjernost zla; Peti argument – Osrednjost čovjeka; Šesti argument – Želja i iluzija. Peto i šesto poglavlje uključuju temeljito proučavanje ovih argumenata, nezaobilaznu povijesnu razradu tih pitanja kao i samu Comte-Sponvilleovu interpretaciju. Sedmo poglavlje Teološko-kritičko iščitavanje interpretacije teologalnih kreposti Andréa Comte-Sponvillea kako to i sam naslov naznačuje, u ključu teološko-kritičke metode, razmatramo i ispitujemo interpretaciju teologalnih kreposti vjere, nade i ljubavi. ComteSponvilleova mudrost koja polazi od vjernosti i očaja naspram vjere i nade, pokazuje veliki izazov za teološko razumijevanje ovih kreposti. Na tragu tog izazova tražimo ispitati je li njegova kritika vjere i nade opravdana, i kao kritika i kao temelj za duhovnost bez Boga. Osmo i posljednje poglavlje, Teološko-kritički pristup duhovnosti bez Boga, u ključu teološko-kritičke metode, donosi razmatranje o pitanjima duha i duhovnosti koji se kreću od pitanja izvora i uvira duha. To je ono što zahtijeva istraživanje, na tragu Comte-Sponvilleove filozofije života duha, i teološko-kritičko vrednovanje s obzirom na temelje na kojima stoji duhovnost bez Boga. Ovaj sažet pregled upućuje na složenost pitanja kao i izazov za teologiju. Argumenti za Božju opstojnost nisu izvor vjere nego njezino razumno opravdanje. To je ono što ćemo braniti u ovome radu. Također, teologalne kreposti svoje nadahnuće nalaze u Objavi koje uprisutnjuju vjernikov odnos s Bogom. To je i ključ njihova razumijevanja koja, smatramo, ne predstavlja otuđenje za čovjeka te, na tragu Comte-Sponvilleove kritike, to nastojimo i pokazati. Takav izazov je rado prihvaćen kao put dijaloga i uzajamnog propitkivanja o smislu duha i duhovnosti u kontekstu naših tema. |
| Abstract (english) | Spiritual atheism is recently becoming more prominent in the public discourse, thus bringing a new paradigm in living spiritually. This tendency, developed as part of the philosophy adopted by certain authors, results in emphasizing anthropology and humanism which bring forward the protection of human spirit against the illusions brought by religion and faith in God. One of these authors is a famous French philosopher and atheist André ComteSponville. Among his works we especially single out the book The Spirit of Atheism. In the Introduction to Spirituality without God, he addresses three major questions: Can we get rid of religion? Does God exist? and What type of spirituality for atheists is there? His version of atheism has a stamp of Christianity he was raised in, which makes him loyal to Christian values such as morality, mercy and love. On the other hand, he puts unfaith above faith, despair above hope, explaining that faith and hope alienate a person from their true self and the present life. He presents six arguments why he doesn’t believe in the existence of God and why he believes that God does not exist. This is the basis for the spirituality he is trying to build, the spirituality
that would fit anyone regardless of their religious beliefs. In the process, he relies on Christian values and Buddhist philosophy of spiritual life. This doctoral thesis is divided into two main parts. The first part, Philosophical Concept of Spirituality without God by André Comte-Sponville, is an interpretative and analytical presentation of spirituality without God according to Comte-Sponville. The second part, Theological and Critical Interpretation of Spirituality without God, is a theological and critical reflection on the same topic. It is our aim to present and theologically and critically examine the basis on which Comte-Sponville is building this spirituality – the life of the spirit, free from religion and free from God. Accordingly, this thesis comprises eight chapters throughout these two parts. After the introduction and a short biography of the author, the first chapter, Introduction into the Understanding of Spiritual Atheism, leads us into the topic of »spiritual atheism« by examining the tradition and the authors this type of atheism is based on and the framework of ideas it originates from. This chapter also puts an emphasis on the distinctiveness of »spiritual atheism« which, although deriving from the traditional understanding of atheism, brings up a new point of view to understanding the world and human beings. The phrase “spiritual atheism” includes the interpretation of the Comte-Sponville atheism; through his form of atheism, he tries to develop the idea of spirituality without God and religion and within this framework of ideas he offers a possible understanding of the world and human beings. The second chapter of our analytical presentation, Essential Ideas of Spiritual Atheism within the Arguments for the Existence of God, has a goal to present the arguments for God’s existence. Comte-Sponville presents six arguments that corroborate his version of atheism in the positive and negative meaning of the word. After these arguments, in the third chapter, Essential Ideas of Spiritual Atheism of André Comte-Sponville in Three Theological Virtues, he presents his personal interpretation of theological virtues which includes man’s relationship with God. The essential ideas of his version of atheism can be recognized in his understanding of faith, hope and charity. The fourth chapter, Spirituality of Spiritual Atheism, is an analytical presentation of spirituality without religion and without God, presented primarily as an idea and then as a possible practice. Spirituality that aims to be free of religion and God is a strong critique of an attempt to identify spirituality and religion. The fifth chapter, Theological and Critical Approach to André Comte-Sponville’s Negative Atheism, is the beginning of the second part of this thesis. By using a theological and critical approach, we deal with the first three arguments that, according to Comte-Sponville, justify his atheism in its negative meaning. These are: the first argument – Ontological, cosmological and physiotheological; the second argument – Weakness of experience of God; the third argument – Incomprehensible explanation. The sixth chapter, Theological and Critical Approach to André Comte-Sponville’s Positive Atheism, addresses the other three arguments which, according to Comte-Sponville, justify his positive atheism. These are: the fourth argument – Excessiveness of evil; the fifth argument – Mediocrity of man; the sixth argument – Desire and illusion. The fifth and the sixth chapters are a thorough study of these arguments and an unavoidable historic elaboration of these questions. They also offer the interpretation given by Comte-Sponville himself. In the seventh chapter, Theological and Critical Reading of the Interpretation of Theological Virtues by André Comte-Sponville, we use (as suggested by the title) a theological and critical method of studying and examining the interpretation of theological virtues, faith, hope and charity. The wisdom of Comte-Sponville that is based on faithfulness and despair as opposed to faith and hope proves to be a great challenge for the theological understanding of these virtues. By accepting this challenge, we aim to examine if his critique of faith and hope is justifiable, both as a critique and as a basis for spirituality without God. The eighth chapter, and last, Theological and Critical Approach to Spirituality without God, presents, using a theological and critical method, a reflection on the matters of spirit and spirituality concerning the questions of the source and confluence of spirit. This is the real objective of the research and a subject to a theological and critical evaluation regarding the basis for the spirituality without God. This concise overview indicates the complexity of the
matter and the challenge it represents to theology. The arguments for the existence of God are not the source of faith, but its rational justification. This is the theory we will defend in this thesis. Also, theological virtues find their inspiration in the Revelation which demonstrates a believer’s relationship with God. This is also a key to their understanding, as it does not represent alienation for the individual which we try to prove through Comte-Sponville’s critique. This challenge is gladly accepted as an opportunity for dialogue and mutual examination of the meaning of spirit and spirituality in the context of our topics. |
