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Pitanje: – Što kažete glede nekih teorija europskih filozofa o rastu i razvoju bića? |
Question.—What do you say with regard to the theories held by some European philosophers on the growth and development of beings? |
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Odgovor: – O tom je predmetu neki dan bilo riječi, no govorit ćemo opet. Ukratko, to će se pitanje riješiti kad se utvrdi jesu li vrste izvorne ili ne, što znači – je li čovjekova vrsta nastala iz svoga izvora ili se kasnije razvila od životinja? |
Answer.—This subject was spoken of the other day, but we will speak of it again. Briefly, this question will be decided by determining whether species are original or not—that is to say, has the species of man been established from its origin, or was it afterward derived from the animals? |
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Neki europski filozofi slažu se u tome da su vrste rasle i razvijale se, te da su čak promjene bile moguće. Jedan od dokaza koji ide u prilog toj teoriji dobiven je pažljivim geološkim proučavanjem i verificiranjem, a jasno je pokazao da je postojanje biljke prethodilo postojanju životinje, te da je postojanje životinje prethodilo postojanju čovjeka. Ti filozofi priznaju da su se i biljne i životinjske vrste promijenile, jer su u nekim slojevima zemlje otkrili danas iskorijenjene biljke koje su postojale u prošlosti; one su napredovale, jačale, a njihov oblik i izgled postali su drugačiji – vrste su se mijenjale. Jedanako tako, u slojevima zemlje postoje neke vrste životinja koje su se preobrazile. Jedna od tih životinja je zmija. Postoje znakovi koji ukazuju na to da je zmija nekad imala stopala, no tijekom vremena ti su dijelovi tijela nestali. Također, u kičmenom stupu čovjeka postoje tragovi koji dokazuju da je on, poput drugih životinja, imao rep. Nekad je taj dio bio koristan, no kad se čovjek razvio, više mu nije bio potreban, pa je polako iščeznuo. Kako se zmija skrivala pod zemljom, postala je životinja koja puže; nije više bilo potrebe za stopalima, pa su ona nestala, no njihovi su tragovi preživjeli. Glavno je načelo sljedeće: postojanje tragova dijelova tijela dokazuje da su oni postojali, a danas kad više ničemu ne služe, postupno nestaju. Stoga, dok su savršeni i potrebni dijelovi ostali, oni koji su nepotrebni postupno su nestali preinakom vrste, no njihovi tragovi i dalje postoje. |
Certain European philosophers agree that the species grows and develops, and that even change and alteration are also possible. One of the proofs that they give for this theory is that through the attentive study and verification of the science of geology it has become clear that the existence of the vegetable preceded that of the animal, and that of the animal preceded that of man. They admit that both the vegetable and the animal species have changed, for in some of the strata of the earth they have discovered plants which existed in the past and are now extinct; they have progressed, grown in strength, their form and appearance have changed, and so the species have altered. In the same way, in the strata of the earth there are some species of animals which have changed and are transformed. One of these animals is the serpent. There are indications that the serpent once had feet, but through the lapse of time those members have disappeared. In the same way, in the vertebral column of man there is an indication which amounts to a proof that, like other animals, he once had a tail. At one time that member was useful, but when man developed, it was no longer of use; and, therefore, it gradually disappeared. As the serpent took refuge under the ground and became a creeping animal, it was no longer in need of feet, so they disappeared; but their traces survive. The principal argument is this: that the existence of traces of members proves that they once existed, and as now they are no longer of service, they have gradually disappeared. Therefore, while the perfect and necessary members have remained, those which are unnecessary have gradually disappeared by the modification of the species, but the traces of them continue. |
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Prvi odgovor na ovaj argument jest činjenica da to što je životinja prethodila čovjeku nije dokaz evolucije, promjene i preobražaja vrste, niti da je čovjek bio iz životinjskog svijeta podignut u ljudski svijet. Jer dok je pojedinačna pojava tih različitih bića sigurna, moguće je da je čovjek postao nakon životinje. Tako da kad ispitujemo biljno kraljevstvo, vidimo da plodovi različitog drveća ne sazrijevaju istodobno, već da – naprotiv – neki sazrijevaju prije, drugi kasnije. To prvenstvo ne dokazuje da su kasniji plodovi nekog drveta nastali iz ranijih plodova drugoga. |
The first answer to this argument is the fact that the animal having preceded man is not a proof of the evolution, change and alteration of the species, nor that man was raised from the animal world to the human world. For while the individual appearance of these different beings is certain, it is possible that man came into existence after the animal. So when we examine the vegetable kingdom, we see that the fruits of the different trees do not arrive at maturity at one time; on the contrary, some come first and others afterward. This priority does not prove that the later fruit of one tree was produced from the earlier fruit of another tree. |
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Drugo, možda ovi slabi znakovi i tragovi dijelova tijela imaju velik razlog postojanja, takav koji naš um još ne može shvatiti. Koliko je mnogo stvari čiji razlog postojanja još ne znamo! Tako znanost fiziologije – poznavanje kompozicije dijelova – kaže da su razlog i uzrok razlike u boji životinja, kose čovjeka, crvenila usana i raznolikosti boja ptica, još nepoznati, tajni i skriveni. No, zna se da je zjenica oka crna da bi privukla zrake sunca, jer kad bi bila druge boje – npr. uniformno bijela – ne bi privukla zrake sunca. Stoga, budući da su stvari koje smo spomenuli nepoznate, moguće je da su razlog i mudrost tih tragova dijelova tijela – bili oni kod životinje ili kod čovjeka – jednako nepoznati. Razlog zasigurno postoji, premda nije poznat. |
Second, these slight signs and traces of members have perhaps a great reason of which the mind is not yet cognizant. How many things exist of which we do not yet know the reason! So the science of physiology—that is to say, the knowledge of the composition of the members—records that the reason and cause of the difference in the colors of animals, and of the hair of men, of the redness of the lips, and of the variety of the colors of birds, is still unknown; it is secret and hidden. But it is known that the pupil of the eye is black so as to attract the rays of the sun, for if it were another color—that is, uniformly white—it would not attract the rays of the sun. Therefore, as the reason of the things we have mentioned is unknown, it is possible that the reason and the wisdom of these traces of members, whether they be in the animal or man, are equally unknown. Certainly there is a reason, even though it is not known. |
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Treće, pretpostavimo li da je postojalo vrijeme kad su neke životinje, pa čak i čovjek, imali dijelove koji su nestali, to ipak nije dostatan dokaz promjene i evolucije vrste. Jer čovjek, od početka embrionskog razdoblja pa sve dok ne postigne stupanj zrelosti, prolazi kroz razne oblike i pojave. Njegov izgled, njegov oblik, njegova pojava i boja mijenjaju se; on prelazi iz jednog stanja u drugo, i iz jedne pojave u drugu. Unatoč tome, od početka embrionskog razdoblja on je pripadnik čovjekove vrste – tj. embrion čovjeka, a ne životinje, premda to u početku nije jasno i tek kasnije postaje vidljivo i očito. Na primjer, pretpostavimo da je čovjek nekad nalikovao životinji te da je potom napredovao i promijenio se. Uz pretpostavku da je to istina, to ipak još uvijek nije dokaz o promjeni vrste. Ne, kako je ranije spomenuto, to je samo nešto poput promjene i preobražaja embriona čovjeka dok ovaj ne dostigne stupanj razuma i savršenstva. Pojasnit ćemo to. Pretpostavimo da je postojalo vrijeme kad je čovjek hodao na rukama i nogama ili imao rep; ta promjena nalik je promjeni fetusa u majčinoj utrobi. Premda se na sve moguće načine mijenja i raste i razvija, sve dok ne dostigne savršen oblik – od početka je posebna vrsta. Također vidimo u biljnom kraljevstvu da se izvorne vrste roda ne mijenjaju, međutim promijenit će se – pa čak i napredovati – oblik, boja i veličina. |
Third, let us suppose that there was a time when some animals, or even man, possessed some members which have now disappeared; this is not a sufficient proof of the change and evolution of the species. For man, from the beginning of the embryonic period till he reaches the degree of maturity, goes through different forms and appearances. His aspect, his form, his appearance and color change; he passes from one form to another, and from one appearance to another. Nevertheless, from the beginning of the embryonic period he is of the species of man—that is to say, an embryo of a man and not of an animal; but this is not at first apparent, but later it becomes visible and evident. For example, let us suppose that man once resembled the animal, and that now he has progressed and changed. Supposing this to be true, it is still not a proof of the change of species. No, as before mentioned, it is merely like the change and alteration of the embryo of man until it reaches the degree of reason and perfection. We will state it more clearly. Let us suppose that there was a time when man walked on his hands and feet, or had a tail; this change and alteration is like that of the fetus in the womb of the mother. Although it changes in all ways, and grows and develops until it reaches the perfect form, from the beginning it is a special species. We also see in the vegetable kingdom that the original species of the genus do not change and alter, but the form, color and bulk will change and alter, or even progress. |
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Da ponovimo: kao što čovjek u majčinoj utrobi prelazi iz jednog oblika u drugi, mijenja se i razvija, a još je uvijek ljudska vrsta od početka embrionskog razdoblja – isto je tako čovjek od početka svoga postojanja u maternici svijeta, bio zasebna vrsta – tj. čovjek – i postupno se razvio iz jednog oblika u drugi. Stoga, ta promjena u izgledu, ta evolucija dijelova, taj razvoj i rast, premda priznajemo realnost rasta i napretka141, ne sprečavaju izvornost vrste. Čovjek je od svog početka bio istog ovog savršenog oblika i sastava, imao sposobnost i urođeni dar da usvoji materijalne i duhovne savršenosti, te je bio objava ovih riječi: “Napravit ćemo čovjeka na našu sliku i priliku”142. On je samo postao ugodniji, ljepši i graciozniji. Civilizacija ga je izvela iz tog divljeg stanja, kao što divlje voće koje njeguje vrtlar postaje finije, slađe i dobiva više svježine i slasti. |
To recapitulate: as man in the womb of the mother passes from form to form, from shape to shape, changes and develops, and is still the human species from the beginning of the embryonic period—in the same way man, from the beginning of his existence in the matrix of the world, is also a distinct species—that is, man—and has gradually evolved from one form to another. Therefore, this change of appearance, this evolution of members, this development and growth, even though we admit the reality of growth and progress,141 does not prevent the species from being original. Man from the beginning was in this perfect form and composition, and possessed capacity and aptitude for acquiring material and spiritual perfections, and was the manifestation of these words, “We will make man in Our image and likeness.”142 He has only become more pleasing, more beautiful and more graceful. Civilization has brought him out of his wild state, just as the wild fruits which are cultivated by a gardener become finer, sweeter and acquire more freshness and delicacy. |
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Vrtlari svijeta čovječanstva su Božji Proroci. |
The gardeners of the world of humanity are the Prophets of God. |
