Béla MESTER
Praeadamitae and Neanderthals. Theories on the Origin of Humankind in the 17th and 21st Centuries
Institution:
Senior Fellow of the Institute for Philosophical Research of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
Author's email:
mester@webmail.phil-inst.hu
Abstract:
My objective in this paper is to show some parallels between the roles of monogenesis and polygenesis of humankind in the thought of early modernity and in contemporary paleoanthropology. My insights into the history of philosophy: a theory of ”praeadamitae” as an argument for the rejection of original sin in Unitarian theology of early modernity and its role in John Locke’s theory of state. Conflict between universality and particularity of morals in Voltaire’s thought in the mirror of his theory of “praeadamitae”. In the last part of my article I demonstrate the disadvantages of the lack of philosophical reflection of contemporary paleoanthropology.
