登陆注册
5201200000007

第7章

Well,I have taken a good deal of pains at various times to prove this,and I have endeavoured to meet the objections of those who maintain,that the structural differences between man and the lower animals are of so vast a character and enormous extent,that even if Mr.Darwin's views are correct,you cannot imagine this particular modification to take place.It is,in fact,easy matter to prove that,so far as structure is concerned,man differs to no greater extent from the animals which are immediately below him than these do from other members of the same order.Upon the other hand,there is no one who estimates more highly than I do the dignity of human nature,and the width of the gulf in intellectual and moral matters,which lies between man and the whole of the lower creation.

But I find this very argument brought forward vehemently by some."You say that man has proceeded from a modification of some lower animal,and you take pains to prove that the structural differences which are said to exist in his brain do not exist at all,and you teach that all functions,intellectual,moral,and others,are the expression or the result,in the long run,of structures,and of the molecular forces which they exert."It is quite true that I do so.

"Well,but,"I am told at once,somewhat triumphantly,"you say in the same breath that there is a great moral and intellectual chasm between man and the lower animals.How is this possible when you declare that moral and intellectual characteristics depend on structure,and yet tell us that there is no such gulf between the structure of man and that of the lower animals?"I think that objection is based upon a misconception of the real relations which exist between structure and function,between mechanism and work.Function is the expression of molecular forces and arrangements no doubt;but,does it follow from this,that variation in function so depends upon variation in structure that the former is always exactly proportioned to the latter?If there is no such relation,if the variation in function which follows on a variation in structure,may be enormously greater than the variation of the structure,then,you see,the objection falls to the ground.

Take a couple of watches--made by the same maker,and as completely alike as possible;set them upon the table,and the function of each--which is its rate of going--will be performed in the same manner,and you shall be able to distinguish no difference between them;but let me take a pair of pincers,and if my hand is steady enough to do it,let me just lightly crush together the bearings of the balance-wheel,or force to a slightly different angle the teeth of the escapement of one of them,and of course you know the immediate result will be that the watch,so treated,from that moment will cease to go.But what proportion is there between the structural alteration and the functional result?Is it not perfectly obvious that the alteration is of the minutest kind,yet that slight as it is,it has produced an infinite difference in the performance of the functions of these two instruments?

Well,now,apply that to the present question.What is it that constitutes and makes man what he is?What is it but his power of language--that language giving him the means of recording his experience--making every generation somewhat wiser than its predecessor,--more in accordance with the established order of the universe?

What is it but this power of speech,of recording experience,which enables men to be men--looking before and after and,in some dim sense,understanding the working of this wondrous universe--and which distinguishes man from the whole of the brute world?I say that this functional difference is vast,unfathomable,and truly infinite in its consequences;and I say at the same time,that it may depend upon structural differences which shall be absolutely inappreciable to us with our present means of investigation.What is this very speech that we are talking about?I am speaking to you at this moment,but if you were to alter,in the minutest degree,the proportion of the nervous forces now active in the two nerves which supply the muscles of my glottis,I should become suddenly dumb.The voice is produced only so long as the vocal chords are parallel;and these are parallel only so long as certain muscles contract with exact equality;and that again depends on the equality of action of those two nerves I spoke of.So that a change of the minutest kind in the structure of one of these nerves,or in the structure of the part in which it originates,or of the supply of blood to that part,or of one of the muscles to which it is distributed,might render all of us dumb.But a race of dumb men,deprived of all communication with those who could speak,would be little indeed removed from the brutes.And the moral and intellectual difference between them and ourselves would be practically infinite,though the naturalist should not be able to find a single shadow of even specific structural difference.

But let me dismiss this question now,and,in conclusion,let me say that you may go away with it as my mature conviction,that Mr.Darwin's work is the greatest contribution which has been made to biological science since the publication of the 'Regne Animal'of Cuvier,and since that of the 'History of Development'of Von Baer.I believe that if you strip it of its theoretical part it still remains one of the greatest encyclopaedias of biological doctrine that any one man ever brought forth;and I believe that,if you take it as the embodiment of an hypothesis,it is destined to be the guide of biological and psychological speculation for the next three or four generations.

End

同类推荐
  • Dead Men Tell No Tales

    Dead Men Tell No Tales

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Taming of the Shrew

    Taming of the Shrew

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 三论游意义

    三论游意义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 济世神验良方

    济世神验良方

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 全梁文

    全梁文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 倾国暖宠:邪魅王爷纨绔妃

    倾国暖宠:邪魅王爷纨绔妃

    穿越到青楼,她脚不沾地,混的风生水起,念念不忘自己的发财大计。无意中救了个王爷,却不曾想被他缠上。“王爷,别靠这么近,你挡住我发财了。”某王邪魅一笑反而靠的更近,温热的呼吸洒在她耳畔。“我不光挡你发财,你的桃花我也一并挡了。”
  • 蜜恋101:独宠极品伪少爷

    蜜恋101:独宠极品伪少爷

    她隐瞒身份,女扮男装潜入校园,只为寻找11年前共患难的他未曾想,一入校园,便看到鼎鼎大名的林夜宸被兄弟们逼穿女装的囧样。从此,她和他结下梁子。他变着法子整她。她玩命似的躲他。可自从他知晓她是女生。这人就变得“怪怪的”。平时和个保镖一样处处跟着她,有危险时第一个冲出来保护她。“阿西吧,林夜宸,你天天跟在老子后面,不怕被人说是基佬?”林夜宸眉梢轻佻,“你一女的成天老子长基佬短的,只怕是嫁不出去了。来来来,到爷这儿来亲亲抱抱举高高。”顾之晴转身就是一击“断子绝孙”。
  • 甜蜜私有:小妻不安分

    甜蜜私有:小妻不安分

    传言顾延城相当护短?她赵小亦就偏不信这个邪!身为某人的掌中宝,集万千宠爱于一身的顾太太,故意在睡觉的时候把顾延城踹下床,把他的牙膏换成芥末,在他早餐的面包里挤满辣椒酱。某天,男人终于被激怒了:“赵小亦,把你手中的枪放下!儿子的玩具枪你也要抢?!”【国民老公力MAX!宠你无边!】
  • 羽神宗

    羽神宗

    我爱中国,我爱中国,我爱中国,我在中国。
  • 异界的游戏开发商

    异界的游戏开发商

    【2018游戏脑洞风暴征文】陆杨是一名游戏策划,他一直坚信自己是用心在做游戏的。直到有一天,他知道了他负责的那款游戏竟然登上了公司辣鸡游戏榜单常年熬夜,精神紧绷的他气急攻心,眼睛一闭,双腿一蹬。再次睁开眼,发现自己竟然来到了地球的平行世界?重归老本行开发游戏,陆杨在另一个地方成为了顶尖的游戏设计师。群:831752659
  • 农女巧当家

    农女巧当家

    穿越家徒四壁,凶悍婆娘一双。手撕渣贱奇葩,巧计赚钱分家。面对困难,不屈不挠。发家致富,生财有道。亲人爱人,拼命相护。势必要活的风生水起,名扬天下!她以为嫁了个山里猎夫,哪里知道他来头这么大,让她不得不撸起衣袖,手撕白莲,狠怼绿茶。却惹来无数倾慕,惹怒了他。“娘子,为夫已经准备好了搓衣板!”“……”
  • 少侠请留步

    少侠请留步

    沧海明月珠有泪,蓝田日软玉生烟。此情可待成追忆?只是当时已惘然。昔日风云都归去,空留独身对斜阳,断剑手罢浊泪流。纵横大千江湖,除不平事,杀不善人。终有磨难,天劫难逃。江湖也有男女情,又有多少能成眷属呢?只是,那个道士,你女儿都跟别人跑了,哎!算了算了,我先带你去大闹江湖。
  • 痴 王妃

    痴 王妃

    ★第一卷★我是外人眼中的“白痴”公主,癫傻可笑。十年地下冷宫的日子,让我愈加懂得忍耐,锋芒内敛那传闻中性情暴戾的三王子,容貌尽毁,而他却是我将嫁的男子。这是一桩政治联姻,隐含着权力斗争的险恶。我和他,都只是棋子。但他却是我意料外的人。银色面具,如幽潭般深不可测的双眸,温柔的说话语气,令人轻易沦陷。我开始犹豫,是要继续装疯卖傻,还是对他说出真相。而同时,诡谲的风云已暗涌,凌厉的危险一步步地逼近我们……★剧中人物★慧明,南风国的公主。为了活着而装痴卖傻,因缘际会和亲到北朝,嫁给三王子...北朝三王子,两人第一次相见,三王子心说:啊!就是这个人了。慧明,你是我命定的王子妃...军师端木和也,他心思细密,智慧超群,从未相信过女主的“痴傻”,为一展所长而留在三王子身边,却不料...蓝田盟副盟主,一个在天地间如鱼得水的男人,眼神犀利,城俯极深,周旋于四国,要风得风要雨得雨,直到...宫女雪燕,东扶桑人。原本聪明伶俐,看似贤淑温柔,实则心机叵测,长年潜伏在三王子身边,怀着不可告人的目的...人物陆续增加中...★柔儿的其它作品★1.《后宫往事》已完结。2.《闲王驯妻*非穿越系列之四》VIP文,已完结。3.《邪恶情人负心郎》已完结。4.《痴王妃》新坑连载。
  • 佛说观无量寿佛经疏

    佛说观无量寿佛经疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 间谍先生:豺狼的日子

    间谍先生:豺狼的日子

    惊动世界四大情报组织的间谍小说大师福赛斯!福赛斯在英国军情六处秘密工作二十多年,6岁开坦克,19岁成为战斗机飞行员!他对世界各国的间谍手法了如指掌,是美国中情局、以色列摩萨德重点关注对象!同时,他也是爱·伦坡奖得主,8部作品被改编成电影,累计销量超7000万册! 间谍的世界,你不能解决问题,你就会成为问题!1963年8月25日,星期天,法国总统戴高乐不顾劝阻,出席一场声势浩大的公众聚会。豺狼,受雇在这一天刺杀总统戴高乐。强大的法国警方对此一筹莫展。因为没人知道豺狼在哪儿,更没人知道该如何确保那位固执的总统的安全。此刻,豺狼的枪已远远架好。他能清楚地看见目标的五官:隐在平顶军帽下的眉毛,凝视着的双眼以及法国人那高耸的鼻子。这一次,戴高乐总统比他生命中的任何时候都更接近死亡……