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Part Four: ON THE ORIGIN, POWERS AND CONDITIONS OF MAN 46: MODIFICATION OF SPECIES 176 177 |
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.
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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
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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.
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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,
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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.
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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.
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