"Starting, then, with these fundamental principles, we will look first at
the provision made for physical pain. Men and, I suppose, all living
creatures are created with the capacity of suffering. The same nerves of
sensation which if excited naturally give rise to pleasure may be excited
unnaturally and inflict pain. But why not endow living creatures with
nerves of sensation which could experience pleasure, but could not feel
pain? Is this possible? Perhaps so, but no man can affirm it with
certainty. I do not think that any man can clearly conceive such a thing.
To us the capacity of enjoying and that of suffering seem inseparable. But
there is no need of insisting upon this point, for the capacity of feeling
pain is a most benevolent provision of the Creator for the benefit of
living creatures. It is designed to save life and limb. Pain is the
sentinel set to guard the outposts of the citadel of life. If there were
no pain, men would thrust their hands into flames without knowing it. They
would indulge in all manner of destructive excesses, and no sufferings
would warn them of danger. They would drink poison, and no pain would bid
them make haste to take the antidote. Tear men limb from limb, hew them in
pieces with the sword, and no painful sensations would rouse them to
self-defence. Without this benevolent provision of pain the race of man
could hardly be saved from extinction. How much more would this be true of
the animal tribes, which are wholly dependent on instinct for guidance and
impulse to action! We accordingly find pain possible in those parts of the
body where pain can subserve the purpose of protection; elsewhere no
provision is made for pain. Nerves of sensation abound in those parts
which require especial care or are especially exposed. The skin is
exposed, therefore the skin is well supplied with nerves. The parts
beneath the skin are less exposed, and are injured only by first wounding
the skin; they are therefore less sensitive. The heart, though so very
important, is almost insensible to pain, because the capacity of
suffering at that point would confer no protection. The eye is delicate
and requires the greatest care, and to secure that needed care the Creator
has made it delicately susceptible of pain. The sole of the foot, as its
work demanded, was made capable of bearing the roughest usage, and hence
the sole of the foot is but little supplied with nerves of sensation.
Still farther, when on account of injury any part of the body requires
unwonted care, provision is made that the injured part shall become
especially sensitive. A bone when well and sound may be cut or sawed
almost without pain, but when the bone is injured it becomes inflamed and
feels pain most keenly. When a limb for the sake of its own safety ought
to be kept quiet, Nature makes it painful to move it. For the benevolent
object of preserving life and guarding the well-being of living creatures
pain is given.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account