| 1 |
Došli smo do pitanja o promjeni vrsta i organskom razvoju – odnosno – do pitanja je li čovjek potekao od životinje. |
We have now come to the question of the modification of species and of organic development—that is to say, to the point of inquiring whether man’s descent is from the animal. |
| 2 |
Ova je teorija našla mjesto u umovima nekih europskih filozofa te ju je danas teško prihvatiti kao laž, no u budućnosti sve će postati jasno i očevidno, a i sami će europski filozofi shvatiti njezinu neispravnost. Jer, zaista, ona je nedvojbeno pogrešna. Kad čovjek pronicavo promatra bića i pažljivo ispituje položaj stvorenja te kad uvidi stanje, organizaciju i savršenost svijeta, bit će posve uvjeren da u mogućem svijetu nema ničega čudesnijeg od onoga što već postoji. Naime, sva su postojeća bića, zemaljska i nebeska, kao i bezgranični svemir i sve što je u njemu, stvoreni i organizirani, sastavljeni, ustrojeni i usavršeni onako kako su morali biti; u univerzumu nema nesavršenosti, te bića, čak i kad bi prerasla u čistu inteligenciju i uvijek nanovo misleći, ne bi mogla zamisliti ništa bolje od onoga što već postoji. |
This theory has found credence in the minds of some European philosophers, and it is now very difficult to make its falseness understood, but in the future it will become evident and clear, and the European philosophers will themselves realize its untruth. For, verily, it is an evident error. When man looks at the beings with a penetrating regard, and attentively examines the condition of existences, and when he sees the state, the organization and the perfection of the world, he will be convinced that in the possible world there is nothing more wonderful than that which already exists. For all existing beings, terrestrial and celestial, as well as this limitless space and all that is in it, have been created and organized, composed, arranged and perfected as they ought to be; the universe has no imperfection, so that if all beings became pure intelligence and reflected for ever and ever, it is impossible that they could imagine anything better than that which exists. |
| 3 |
Da međutim stvaranje u prošlosti nije odlikovala krajnja savršenost, postojanje bi ostalo nesavršeno i besmisleno, što bi stvaranje učinilo nepotpunim. To pitanje treba razmatrati s najvećom pozornošću i promišljanjem. Na primjer, zamislite da nestalni svijet općenito sliči čovječjem tijelu. Ako bi sastav, organizacija, savršenost, ljepota i potpunost – koji sada postoje u ljudskom tijelu – bili drugačiji, bilo bi to posvemašnje nesavršenstvo. Dakle, ako zamislimo vrijeme u kojem je čovjek pripadao životinjskom svijetu ili bio samo životinja, otkrit ćemo da bi postojanje bilo nesavršeno – jer ne bi bilo čovjeka: nedostajao bi glavni član koji je u tijelu svijeta poput mozga i uma u čovjeka. Svijet bi tada bio prilično nesavršen. Tako je dokazano da bi postojanje vremena u kojem je čovjek pripadao životinjskom kraljevstvu uništilo savršenost postojanja: jer, čovjek je najvažniji član ovoga svijeta, a tijelo bez svog najvažnijeg dijela zasigurno bi bilo nesavršeno. Čovjeka smatramo najvažnijim članom jer je on, među stvorenjima, zbroj svih postojećih savršenih odlika. Kad govorimo o čovjeku, mislimo na savršenoga, na najistaknutijeg pojedinca na svijetu, koji je zbroj duhovnih i pojavnih savršenstava i koji je poput sunca među bićima. Ako zamislite da nekada nije postojalo sunce, već da je ono bilo planet, u takvom bi razdoblju zasigurno odnosi postojanja bili poremećeni. Može li se zamisliti nešto takvo? Čovjeku koji ispituje svijet postojanja dostatno je ono naprijed rečeno. |
If, however, the creation in the past had not been adorned with utmost perfection, then existence would have been imperfect and meaningless, and in this case creation would have been incomplete. This question needs to be considered with the greatest attention and thought. For example, imagine that the contingent world resembles in a general way the body of man. If this composition, organization, perfection, beauty and completeness which now exist in the human body were different, it would be absolute imperfection. Now, if we imagine a time when man belonged to the animal world, or when he was merely an animal, we shall find that existence would have been imperfect—that is to say, there would have been no man, and this chief member, which in the body of the world is like the brain and mind in man, would have been missing. The world would then have been quite imperfect. It is thus proved that if there had been a time when man was in the animal kingdom, the perfection of existence would have been destroyed; for man is the greatest member of this world, and if the body was without this chief member, surely it would be imperfect. We consider man as the greatest member because, among the creatures, he is the sum of all existing perfections. When we speak of man, we mean the perfect one, the foremost individual in the world, who is the sum of spiritual and apparent perfections, and who is like the sun among the beings. Then imagine that at one time the sun did not exist, but that it was a planet; surely at such a time the relations of existence would be disordered. How can such a thing be imagined? To a man who examines the world of existence what we have said is sufficient. |
| 4 |
Postoji još jedan istančaniji dokaz: sve to mnoštvo bića koja nastavaju svijet – čovjek, životinja, biljka, mineral – zasigurno su, svako pojedinačno, sastavljena od elemenata. Nema sumnje da je savršenost koja postoji u svim bićima Bog stvorio od sastavnih elemenata, njihovim odgovarajućim miješanjem i proporcionalnim količinama, oblicima njihova spajanja i utjecajem ostalih bića. Jer sva su bića lančano povezana, a uzajamna pomoć, podrška i interakcija koje pripadaju svojstvima stvari, uzroci su postojanja, razvoja i rasta stvorenih bića. Potvrđeno je da svako biće univerzalno utječe na ostala bića, bilo apsolutno ili putem udruživanja. Napokon, savršenstvo svakog pojedinog bića – drugim riječima, savršenstvo koje sada vidite u čovjeku ili izvan njega, s obzirom na njegove atome, dijelove ili moći – dolazi od spoja elemenata, njihove mjere, njihove ravnoteže, načina kombiniranja i uzajamnog utjecaja. Sve to skupljeno zajedno, stvara čovjeka. |
There is another more subtle proof: all these endless beings which inhabit the world, whether man, animal, vegetable, mineral—whatever they may be—are surely, each one of them, composed of elements. There is no doubt that this perfection which is in all beings is caused by the creation of God from the composing elements, by their appropriate mingling and proportionate quantities, the mode of their composition, and the influence of other beings. For all beings are connected together like a chain; and reciprocal help, assistance and interaction belonging to the properties of things are the causes of the existence, development and growth of created beings. It is confirmed through evidences and proofs that every being universally acts upon other beings, either absolutely or through association. Finally, the perfection of each individual being—that is to say, the perfection which you now see in man or apart from him, with regard to their atoms, members or powers—is due to the composition of the elements, to their measure, to their balance, to the mode of their combination, and to mutual influence. When all these are gathered together, then man exists. |
| 5 |
S obzirom na to da je savršenstvo svakog čovjeka plod spoja atoma ili elemenata, njihove mjere, metode kombiniranja uzajamnog utjecaja i djelovanja različitih bića – tada, budući da je čovjek stvoren prije deset ili stotinu tisuća godina od tih zemaljskih elemenata s istom mjerom i ravnotežom, istom metodom kombiniranja i miješanja i pod istim utjecajem ostalih bića, posve jednak čovjek postojao je onda kao i sada. To je očito i nije vrijedno rasprave. Tisuću milijuna godina otad, ako se ti elementi čovjeka skupe i ustroje u ovom posebnom odnosu, ako se kombiniraju prema istoj metodi te ako budu pod istim utjecajem ostalih bića, postojat će potpuno isti čovjek. Na primjer, budu li nakon tisuću godina postojali ulje, vatra, fitilj, svjetiljka i upaljač – ukratko, iste te stvari koje i danas postoje, dobit će se potpuno ista svjetiljka. |
As the perfection of man is entirely due to the composition of the atoms of the elements, to their measure, to the method of their combination, and to the mutual influence and action of the different beings—then, since man was produced ten or a hundred thousand years ago from these earthly elements with the same measure and balance, the same method of combination and mingling, and the same influence of the other beings, exactly the same man existed then as now. This is evident and not worth debating. A thousand million years hence, if these elements of man are gathered together and arranged in this special proportion, and if the elements are combined according to the same method, and if they are affected by the same influence of other beings, exactly the same man will exist. For example, if after a hundred thousand years there is oil, fire, a wick, a lamp and the lighter of the lamp—briefly, if there are all the necessaries which now exist, exactly the same lamp will be obtained. |
| 6 |
To su uvjerljive i očevidne činjenice. A argumenti kojima se koriste ti europski filozofi daju sumnjive dokaze i nisu uvjerljivi. |
These are conclusive and evident facts. But the arguments which these European philosophers have used raise doubtful proofs and are not conclusive. |
