Kazimierz Kloskowski – a Polish priest and philosopher. He was born on 20 August 1953 in Gdańsk. After graduating from the 6th Secondary School in Gdańsk, he started attending the Bishop’s Seminary in Gdańsk-Oliwa. He was ordained priest on 18 December 1977. He obtained the degree of the Master of Theology for the thesis “Nauka o Logosie w dziełach Filona z Aleksandrii i w hymnie Prologu Czwartej Ewangelii” [The Logos Teaching in the Works of Philo of Alexandria and in the Hymn of the Fourth Gospel Prologue], written under the supervision of Rev. Grzegorz Gólski CM, Ph.D. In 1978–1981 he studied at the Faculty of Christian Philosophy of the Academy of Catholic Theology (ATK) in Warsaw (today: Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw). He obtained the master of philosophy diploma (specialisation: philosophy of nature) in 1981 on the basis of the thesis “Koncepcja abiogenezy w pracach Reinharda W. Kapłana” [The Concept of Abiogenesis in the Works of Reinhard W. Kapłan], and in 1984 he became the doctor of philosophy based on the doctoral thesis entitled “Rola przypadku w genezie życia” [The Role of Contingency in the Origin of Life]. Both papers were prepared under the supervision of Rev. prof. Szczepan W. Ślaga. On 6th December 1990 the Board of the Faculty of Christian Philosophy of ATK, based on his scientific achievements and the book “Zagadnienie determinizmu ewolucyjnego. Studium biofilozoficzne” [The Issue of Evolutionary Determinism: A Biophilosophical Study], conferred him the degree of the doctor of humanities (specialisation: philosophy of nature), approved by the Central Commission for Academic Degrees on 30 September 1991. On 30 March 1995 he was employed as a full professor at ATK. In 1997, when he was only 43 years old, he obtained the scientific title of the professor of humanities. From 1985 he worked at the Faculty of Christian Philosophy of ATK doing freelance work, and from 1987 he worked there as an assistant professor. In 1987–1991 he was the secretary of the Board of the Faculty of Christian Philosophy of ATK. From 1992 he worked as the head of the Chair of History and Philosophy of Science and a supervisor of the Scientific Circle of Students of Philosophy of Nature, and from 1996 he was the head of the Chair of Philosophy of Nature. In 1993–1996 he was the Department’s associate dean and from 1996 he worked as the vice-rector of ATK/UKSW. In 1992 he became a member of the Polish Philosophical Society and the Scientific Society of KUL, and in 1996 he joined the Committee of Evolutionary and Theoretical Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN). Also, he was a member of the Commission for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Polish Episcopal Conference, the Polish Bioethical Committee at UNESCO (from 1996), and the International Society of Phenomenology and Science of Life (from 1997). Apart from working at ATK, from 1983 he gave lectures at the Theological Seminary of Gdańsk. From 1992 he led the cycle of lectures at the Teacher’s College in Olecko, and from 1987 – at the Gdańsk Institute of Theology – branch of the Catholic University of Lublin. From 1993 he taught at the Theological College of Pomesania and at the Theological Seminary of Elbląg, and from 1994 he gave lectures at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Society of Jesus in Krakow. In 1984–1991 he worked as the editor-in-chief and the administrative editor of the “Gdańsk Diocese Monthly.” In 1983 he joined the team of editors of “Gdańsk Studies,” and in 1992 – the editorial staff of the scientific magazine “Studia Philosophiae Christianae.” In 1996 he became the deputy of the editor-in-chief of “Studia Philosophiae Christianae” and a co-editor of the series “Z zagadnień filozofii przyrodoznawstwa i filozofii przyrody” [Issues Concerning the Philosophy of Nature and Natural Science]. Kazimierz Kloskowski died after a long and serious illness on 13 October 1999. He was buried in his family tomb at the Srebrzysko cemetery in Gdańsk-Wrzeszcz.
Kazimierz Kloskowski’s scientific and research work focuses on issues related to biology, philosophy of biology, biophilosophy, genetics and bioethics. In particular, he dealt with: (1) epistemological and methodological analyses of the theory of abiogenesis; (2) various aspects of abiogenesis determinism and evolutionary processes (the role of contingency, the problem of being purposeful and stochastic), as well as the question of the essence of life; (3) methodological analyses concerning the possibility to link evolution and creation, evolutionism and creationism; (4) the issues related to genetics, molecular biology and bioethics related to genetic engineering (genetic manipulations).
Kazimierz Kloskowski is the author of several books and almost one hundred scientific articles. His texts reveal a unique approach to the issues they discuss. Through the concept of evolutionary autodeterminism, he developed our knowledge of the synthetic theory of evolution, and he made it possible for us to look at the factors and mechanisms of evolution and at the nature of life from a new perspective. He carried out methodological analyses concerning the possibility to link evolution and creation, building a Polish model of dialogue between creationism and evolutionism. His most important publications include: “Zagadnienie determinizmu ewolucyjnego. Studium biofilozoficzne” [The Issue of Evolutionary Determinism: Biophilosophical Study], Gdańsk 1990; “Między ewolucją a kreacją” [Between the Evolution and Creation], Warsaw 1994; On the Problems of the Purposefulness of Biological Evolution, in Theoria et Historia Scientiarum 4 (1994), pp. 51-66; “Bioetyczne aspekty inżynierii genetycznej. Wybrane problemy” [Bioethical Aspects of Genetic Engineering: Selected Issues], Warsaw 1995; Genetic Engineering – a Technique of the Future: Is It a Threat or a Hope?, in Dialogue and Universalism 6 (1996), no. 8–9, pp. 115–125; “Filozofia ewolucji i filozofia stwarzania” [Philosophy of Evolution and Philosophy of Creation], Vol. I: “Między ewolucją a stwarzaniem” [Between Evolution and Creation], Vol. II: “Pogodzone bliźniaki. Rzecz o ewolucji i kreacji” [Reconciled Twins: On Evolution and Creation], Warsaw 1999; Is the essence of life a natural or philosophical problem?, in Analecta Husserliana 59 (1999), pp. 265–275.