on the relations of man to the lower animals-第1部分

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On　the　Relations　of　Man　to　the　Lower　Animals


by　Thomas　H。　Huxley






Multis　videri　poterit；　majorem　esso　differentiam　Simiae　et　Hominis；　quam
diei　et　noctis；　verum　tamen　hi；　comparatione　instituta　inter　summos
Europae　Heroes　et　Hottentottos　ad　Caput　bonae　spei　degentes；
difficillime　sibi　persuadebunt；　has　eosdem　habere　natales；　vel　si
virginem　nobilem　aulicam；　maxime　comtam　et　humanissimam；　conferre
vellent　cum　homine　sylvestri　et　sibi　relicto；　vix　augurari　possent；
hunc　et　illam　ejusdem　esse　speciei。'Linnaei　Amoenitates　Acad。
〃Anthropomorpha。〃'

THE　question　of　questions　for　mankindthe　problem　which　underlies　all
others；　and　is　more　deeply　interesting　than　any　otheris　the
ascertainment　of　the　place　which　Man　occupies　in　nature　and　of　his
relations　to　the　universe　of　things。　　Whence　our　race　has　come；　what　are
the　limits　of　our　power　over　nature；　and　of　nature's　power　over　us；　to
what　goal　we　are　tending；　are　the　problems　which　present　themselves
anew　and　with　undiminished　interest　to　every　man　born　into　the　world。
Most　of　us；　shrinking　from　the　difficulties　and　dangers　which　beset　the
seeker　after　original　answers　to　these　riddles；　are　contented　to　ignore
them　altogether；　or　to　smother　the　investigating　spirit　under　the
featherbed　of　respected　and　respectable　tradition。　But；　in　every　age；
one　or　two　restless　spirits；　blessed　with　that　constructive　genius；
which　can　only　build　on　a　secure　foundation；　or　cursed　with　the　spirit
of　mere　scepticism；　are　unable　to　follow　in　the　well…worn　and
comfortable　track　of　their　forefathers　and　contemporaries；　and
unmindful　of　thorns　and　stumbling…blocks；　strike　out　into　paths　of　their
own。　　The　sceptics　end　in　the　infidelity　which　asserts　the　problem　to
be　insoluble；　or　in　the　atheism　which　denies　the　existence　of　any
orderly　progress　and　governance　of　things：　the　men　of　genius　propound
solutions　which　grow　into　systems　of　Theology　or　of　Philosophy；　or
veiled　in　musical　language　which　suggests　more　than　it　asserts；　take
the　shape　of　the　Poetry　of　an　epoch。

Each　such　answer　to　the　great　question；　invariably　asserted　by　the
followers　of　its　propounder；　if　not　by　himself；　to　be　complete　and
final；　remains　in　high　authority　and　esteem；　it　may　be　for　one　century；
or　it　may　be　for　twenty：　but；　as　invariably；　Time　proves　each　reply　to
have　been　a　mere　approximation　to　the　truthtolerable　chiefly　on
account　of　the　ignorance　of　those　by　whom　it　was　accepted；　and　wholly
intolerable　when　tested　by　the　larger　knowledge　of　their　successors。

In　a　well…worn　metaphor；　a　parallel　is　drawn　between　the　life　of　man　and
the　metamorphosis　of　the　caterpillar　into　the　butterfly；　but　the
comparison　may　be　more　just　as　well　as　more　novel；　if　for　its　former
term　we　take　the　mental　progress　of　the　race。　　History　shows　that　the
human　mind；　fed　by　constant　accessions　of　knowledge；　periodically　grows
too　large　for　its　theoretical　coverings；　and　bursts　them　asunder　to
appear　in　new　habiliments；　as　the　feeding　and　growing　grub；　at
intervals；　casts　its　too　narrow　skin　and　assumes　another；　itself　but
temporary。　　Truly　the　imago　state　of　Man　seems　to　be　terribly　distant；
but　every　moult　is　a　step　gained；　and　of　such　there　have　been　many。

Since　the　revival　of　learning；　whereby　the　Western　races　of　Europe　were
enabled　to　enter　upon　that　progress　towards　true　knowledge；　which　was
commenced　by　the　philosophers　of　Greece；　but　was　almost　arrested　in
subsequent　long　ages　of　intellectual　stagnation；　or；　at　most；　gyration；
the　human　larva　has　been　feeding　vigorously；　and　moulting　in　proportion。
A　skin　of　some　dimension　was　cast　in　the　16th　century；　and　another
towards　the　end　of　the　18th；　while；　within　the　last　fifty　years；　the
extraordinary　growth　of　every　department　of　physical　science　has　spread
among　us　mental　food　of　so　nutritious　and　stimulating　a　character　that　a
new　ecdysis　seems　imminent。　　But　this　is　a　process　not　unusually
accompanied　by　many　throes　and　some　sickness　and　debility；　or；　it　may
be；　by　graver　disturbances；　so　that　every　good　citizen　must　feel　bound
to　facilitate　the　process；　and　even　if　he　have　nothing　but　a　scalpel　to
work　withal；　to　ease　the　cracking　integument　to　the　best　of　his
ability。

In　this　duty　lies　my　excuse　for　the　publication　of　these　essays。　　For　it
will　be　admitted　that　some　knowledge　of　man's　position　in　the　animate
world　is　an　indispensable　preliminary　to　the　proper　understanding　of
his　relations　to　the　universeand　this　again　resolves　itself；　in　the
long　run；　into　an　inquiry　into　the　nature　and　the　closeness　of　the　ties
which　connect　him　with　those　singular　creatures　whose　history*　has　been
sketched　in　the　preceding　pages。

　　　　＇footnote＇　*　It　will　be　understood　that；　in　the　preceding
　　　　Essay；　I　have　selected　for　notice　from　the　vast　mass　of
　　　　papers　which　have　been　written　upon　the　man…like　Apes；　only
　　　　those　which　seem　to　me　to　be　of　special　moment。

The　importance　of　such　an　inquiry　is　indeed　intuitively　manifest
Brought　face　to　face　with　these　blurred　copies　of　himself；　the　least
thoughtful　of　men　is　conscious　of　a　certain　shock；　due　perhaps；　not　so
much　to　disgust　at　the　aspect　of　what　looks　like　an　insulting
caricature；　as　to　the　awakening　of　a　sudden　and　profound　mistrust　of
time…honoured　theories　and　strongly…rooted　prejudices　regarding　his　own
position　in　nature；　and　his　relations　to　the　under…world　of　life；　while
that　which　remains　a　dim　suspicion　for　the　unthinking；　becomes　a　vast
argument；　fraught　with　the　deepest　consequences；　for　all　who　are
acquainted　with　the　recent　progress　of　the　anatomical　and　physiological
sciences。

I　now　propose　briefly　to　unfold　that　argument；　and　to　set　forth；　in　a
form　intelligible　to　those　who　possess　no　special　acquaintance　with
anatomical　science；　the　chief　facts　upon　which　all　conclusions
respecting　the　nature　and　the　extent　of　the　bonds　which　connect　man　with
the　brute　world　must　be　based：　I　shall　then　indicate　the　one　immediate
conclusion　which；　in　my　judgment；　is　justified　by　those　facts；　and　I
shall　finally　discuss　the　bearing　of　that　conclusion　upon　the
hypotheses　which　have　been　entertained　respecting　the　Origin　of　Man。

The　facts　to　which　I　would　first　direct　the　reader's　attention；　though
ignored　by　many　of　the　professed　instructors　of　the　public　mind；　are
easy　of　demonstration　and　are　universally　agreed　to　by　men　of　science；
while　their　significance　is　so　great；　that　whoso　has　duly　pondered　over
them　will；　I　think；　find　little　to　startle　him　in　the　other　revelations
of　Biology。　　I　refer　to　those　facts　which　have　been　made　known　by　the
study　of　Development。

It　is　a　truth　of　very　wide；　if　not　of　universal；　application；　that　every
living　creature　commences　its　existence　under　a　form　different　from；
and　simpler　than；　that　which　it　eventually　attains。

FIG。　12。A。　　Egg　of　the　Dog；　with　the　vitelline　membrane　burst；　so　as
to　give　exit　to　the　yolk；　the　germinal　vesicle　（a）；　and　its　included
spot　（b）。　　B。　C。　D。　E　F。　　Successive　changes　of　the　yolk　indicated　in
the　text。　　After　Bischoff。

The　oak　is　a　more　complex　thing　than　the　little　rudimentary　plant
contained　in　the　acorn；　the　caterpillar　is　more　complex　than　the　egg；
the　butterfly　than　the　caterpillar；　and　each　of　these　beings；　in
passing　from　its　rudimentary　to　its　perfect　condition；　runs　through　a
series　of　changes；　the　sum　of　which　is　called　its　Development。　　In　the
higher　animals　these　changes　are　extremely　complicated；　but；　within　the
last　half　century；　the　labours　of　such　men　as　Von　Baer；　Rathke；
Reichert；　Bischof；　and　Remak；　have　almost　completely　unravelled　them；　so
that　the　successive　stages　of　development　which　are　exhibited　by　a　Dog；
for　example；　are　now　as　well　known　to　the　embryologist　as　are　the　steps
of　the　metamorphosis　of　the　silkworm　moth　to　the　school…boy。　　It　will
be　useful　to　consider　with　attention　the　nature　and　the　order　of　the
stages　of　canine　development；　as　an　example　of　the　process　in　the
higher　animals　generally。

The　Dog；　like　all　animals；　save　the　very　lowest　（and　further　inquiries
may　not　improbably　remove　the　apparent　exception）；　commences　its
existence　as　an　egg：　as　a　body　which　is；　in　every　sense；　as　much　an　egg
as　that　of　a　hen；　but　is　devoid　of　that　accumulation　of　nutritive
matter　which　confers　upon　the　bird's　egg　its　exceptional　size　and
domestic　utility；　and　wants　the　shell；　which　would　not　only　be　useless
to　an　animal　incubated　within　the　body　of　its　parent；　but　would　cut　it
off　from　access　to　the　source　of　that　nutriment　which　the　young
creature　requires；　but　which　the　minute　egg　of　the　mammal　does　not
contain　within　itself。

The　Dog's　egg　is；　in　fact；　a　little　spheroidal　bag　（Fig。　12）；　formed　of
a　delicate　transparent　membrane　called　the　'vitelline　membrane'；　and
about　1/130　to　1/120th　of　an　inch　in　diameter。　It　contains　a　mass　of
viscid　nutritive　matterthe　'yelk'within　which　is　inclosed　a　second
much　more　delicate　spheroidal　bag；　called　the　'germinal　vesicle'　（a）。
In　this；　lastly；　lies　a　more　solid　rounded　body；　termed　the　'germinal
spot'　（b）。

The　egg；　or　'Ovum；'　is　originally　formed　within　a　gland；　from　which；　in
due　season；　it　becomes　detached；　and　passes　into　the　living　chamber
fitted　for　its　protection　and　maintenance　during　the　protracted　process
of　gestation。　　Here；　when　subjected　to　the　required　conditions；　this
minute　and　apparently　insignificant　particle　of　living　matter　becomes
animated　by　a　new　and　mysterious　activity。　　The　germinal　vesicle　and
spot　cease　to　be　discernible　（their　precise　fate　being　one　of　the　yet
unsolved　problems　of　embryology）；　but　the　yelk　becomes
circumferentially　indented；　as　if　an　invisible　knife　had　been　drawn
round　it；　and　thus　appears　divided　into　two　hemispheres　（Fig。　12；　C）。

By　the　repetition　of　this　process　in　various　planes；　these　hemispheres
become　subdivided；　so　that　four　segments　are　produced　（D）；　and　these；
in　like　manner；　divide　and　subdivide　again；　until　the　whole　yelk　is
converted　into　a　mass　of　granules；　each　of　which　consists　of　a　minute
spheroid　of　yelk…substance；　inclosing　a　central　particle；　the　so…called
'nucleus'　（F）。　　Nature；　by　this　process；　has　attained　much　the　same
result　as　that　at　which　a　human　artificer　arriv