I have thus stated, by a simple example in physical action, what is meant
by design and what by necessity; and that the latter may exist without any
dependence upon the former. If I have given the statement with what may be
thought, by some, unnecessary prolixity, I have only to say that I have
found many minds to have a great difficulty in conceiving of necessity as
acting altogether independent of design.
Let me now trace these principles as sources of action in Darwin's work or
theory. Let us see how much there is of design acting to produce a foreseen
end, and thus proving a reasoning and self-conscious Creator; and how much
of mere blind power acting without rational design, or without a specific
purpose or conscious foresight. Mr. Darwin has specified in a most clear
and unmistakable manner the operation of his three great powers, or rather,
the three great laws by which the organic power of life acts in the
formation of an eye. (See p. 169.) Following the method he has pointed out,
we will take a number of animals of the same species, in which the eye is
not developed. They may have all the other senses, with the organs of
nutrition, circulation, respiration, and locomotion. They all have a brain
and nerves, and some of these nerves may be sensitive to light; but have no
combination of retina, membranes, humors, etc., by which the distinct
image of an object may be formed and conveyed by the optic nerve to the
cognizance of the internal perception, or the mind. The animal in this case
would be merely sensible of the difference between light and darkness. He
would have no power of discriminating form, size, shape, or color, the
difference of objects, and to gain from these a knowledge of their being
useful or hurtful, friends or enemies. Up to this point there is no
appearance of necessity upon the scene. The billiard-balls have not yet
struck together, and we will suppose that none of the arguments that may be
used to prove, from this organism, thus existing, that it could not have
come into form and being without a creator acting to this end with
intelligence and design, are opposed by anything that can be found in
Darwin's theory; for, so far, Darwin's laws are supposed not to have come
into operation. Give the animals, thus organized, food and room, and they
may go on, from generation to generation, upon the same organic level. Those
individuals that, from natural variation, are born with light-nerves a
little more sensitive to light than their parents, will cross or interbreed
with those who have the same organs a little less sensitive, and thus the
mean standard will be kept up without any advancement. If our
billiard-table were sufficiently extensive, i. e., infinite, the balls
rolled from the corners would never meet, and the necessity which we have
supposed to deflect them would never act.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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