Thina Bantu—Singobani?
KUBONAKALA sengathi abantu badidekile ukuthi bangobani. Isazi sokuziphendukela kwemvelo uRichard Leakey siyaphawula: “Sekungamakhulu eminyaka izazi zefilosofi zihlolisisa izici zobuntu. Kodwa kuyamangalisa ukuthi ayikho incazelo okuvunyelwana ngayo ngobunjalo babantu.”
Nokho, iCopenhagen Zoo yaba nesibindi sokuveza umbono wayo ngombukiso endaweni yayo yezilwane. I-1997 Britannica Book of the Year iyachaza: “Umbhangqwana waseDenmark waya kohlala e-zoo okwesikhashana ngenhloso yokukhumbuza izivakashi ngobuhlobo obukhona phakathi kwazo nezimfene.”
Izincwadi ziyabuqinisekisa ubuhlobo obunjalo okuthiwa buphakathi kwezilwane ezithile nabantu. Ngokwesibonelo, i-World Book Encyclopedia ithi: “Abantu, kanye nezimfene, ama-lemur nezinkawu kungena esigabeni sezilwane ezincelisayo okuthiwa ama-primate.”
Nokho, iqiniso liwukuthi abantu banezici eziningi eziyingqayizivele izilwane ezingenazo. Phakathi kwazo kukhona uthando, unembeza, isimilo, umuzwa ongokomoya, ubulungisa, isihe, ukuba namahlaya, ikhono lokusungula izinto, ukuqaphela isikhathi, ukuziqaphela njengabantu, ukwazisa ubuhle, ukukhathazeka ngekusasa, ikhono lokuqongelela ulwazi oludluliselwa ezizukulwaneni ezilandelayo nethemba lokuthi ukufa akusona isiphelo sokuba khona kwethu.
Bezama ukuvumelanisa lezi zici nezidalwa eziyizilwane, abanye babhekisela embonweni wokuziphendukela kwemvelo, ohlanganisa isayensi yokusebenza kwengqondo nesayensi yezenhlalo. Ingabe umbono wokuziphendukela kwemvelo uye wayixazulula indida yobunjalo bomuntu?
Iyini Injongo Yokuphila?
“Isisekelo sombono wokuziphendukela kwemvelo silula,” kusho isazi sokuziphendukela kwemvelo uRobert Wright. “Ingqondo yomuntu, njenganoma isiphi esinye isitho, yaklanyelwa ukudlulisela izakhi zofuzo esizukulwaneni esilandelayo; imizwa nemicabango eyakhayo iqondakala kangcono ngale ndlela.” Ngamanye amazwi, injongo yethu ekuphileni, njengoba ilawulwa izakhi zethu zofuzo futhi ibonakala endleleni ingqondo yethu esebenza ngayo, iwukuba sizale.
Yebo, ngokombono wokuziphendukela kwemvelo, “izici eziningi zomuntu zigxile ebugovwini obunonya obusekelwe ezakhini zofuzo.” Incwadi ethi The Moral Animal ithi: “Ukuzikhethela kwemvelo ‘kufuna’ ukuba amadoda ahlanganyele ubuhlobo bobulili nenqwaba yabesifazane.” Ngokwalo mqondo wokuziphendukela kwemvelo, ngaphansi kwezimo ezithile ukuziphatha kabi kwabesifazane nakho kubhekwa njengento engokwemvelo. Ngisho nothando lwabazali lubhekwa njengesu lezakhi zofuzo ukuze kuqinisekwe ukuthi inzalo iqhubeka ikhona. Ngakho, omunye umbono ugcizelela ukubaluleka kofuzo ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi umkhaya wesintu uyaqhubeka ukhona.
Ezinye izincwadi zokuzisiza sezisekelwe embonweni omusha wokuziphendukela kwemvelo. Omunye uchaza ukuthi abantu “abahlukile kangako ezinkawini, kuma-gorilla noma ezimfeneni.” Uthi futhi: “Uma kuziwa ekuziphendukeleni kwemvelo, . . . okubalulekile ukuveza inzalo.”
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iBhayibheli lifundisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu akadalanga abantu ngenjongo yokuba bazale nje kuphela. Senziwa “ngomfanekiso” kaNkulunkulu, sinekhono lokubonakalisa izimfanelo zakhe, ikakhulukazi uthando, ubulungisa, ukuhlakanipha namandla. Uma ucabangela nezici zabantu okukhulunywe ngazo ekuqaleni, kuba sobala ukuthi kungani iBhayibheli lithi abantu baphakeme kunezilwane. Eqinisweni, iBhayibheli lembula ukuthi uNkulunkulu akadalanga abantu benesifiso sokuphila phakade kuphela kodwa futhi wabadala benanekhono lokujabulela ukugcwaliseka kwaleso sifiso ezweni elisha lokulunga elenziwe uNkulunkulu.—Genesise 1:27, 28; IHubo 37:9-11, 29; UmShumayeli 3:11; Johane 3:16; IsAmbulo 21:3, 4.
Esikukholelwayo Kwenza Umehluko
Ukuthola umbono onembile akuyona nje into yokucatshangelwa, ngoba lokho esikukholelwayo ngomsuka wethu kungayithonya indlela esiphila ngayo. Isazi-mlando uH. G. Wells saphawula iziphetho abaningi abazifinyelela ngemva kokunyatheliswa kwencwadi ka-Charles Darwin ethi Origin of Species ngo-1859.
“Kwaqubuka isiyaluyalu esikhulu. . . . Ukholo lwashabalala ngempela ngemva kuka-1859. . . . Abantu ababevelele ekupheleni kwekhulu leshumi nesishiyagalolunye babekholelwa ukuthi baphila ngenxa yokuLwela Ukuba Khona, lapho abanamandla nabanobuqili besizakala khona ngababuthaka nabangakwazi ukuzimela. . . . Banquma ukuthi umuntu uyisilwane somphakathi njengenja yokuzingela yaseNdiya. . . . Kwabonakala kulungile kubo ukuba izinja ezinkulu zomphakathi wesintu zixhaphaze futhi zinqobe.”
Ngokusobala, kubalulekile ukuba sithole umbono onembile ngokuthi singobani ngempela. Ngoba, njengoba esinye isazi sokuziphendukela kwemvelo sabuza, “uma imibono kaDarwin eyisidala . . . yawohloza isimilo somphakathi waseNtshonalanga, kuyokwenzekani lapho [umbono wokuziphendukela kwemvelo] omusha ususakazekile?”
Njengoba esikukholelwayo ngemisuka yethu kuthonya imibono yethu eyisisekelo ngokuphila nangokulungile nokungalungile, kubalulekile ukuba siwuhlolisise lo mbuzo.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 4]
Isazi-mlando uH. G. Wells saphawula iziphetho abaningi abazifinyelela ngemva kokunyatheliswa kwencwadi kaCharles Darwin ethi Origin of Species ngo-1859: “Kwaqubuka isiyaluyalu esikhulu. . . . Ukholo lwashabalala ngempela ngemva kuka-1859”