p. 1 | Can God Organize Matter to Think?

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jul 24, 1879

Can God Organize Matter to Think?

By Dudley Marvin Canright

(Continued.)

Of the functions of sensation and voluntary motion, Dr. Ware says, "To the exclusive possession of these powers by animals, there are apparent exceptions. Some vegetables do move from place to place with as much apparent volition as certain animals; whilst there are some animals as immovably fixed to one spot as vegetables by their roots. There are also plants which exhibit motions seemingly as voluntary as those of some of the lowest animals, and for as definite a purpose. The sensitive plant is a striking example of this kind. The slightest touch makes its leaves suddenly shrink, and together with the branch bend down toward the earth. But the moving plant, or Hedysarum gyrans, furnishes a more astonishing example of vegetable motion. Its movements are not excited by the contact of external bodies, but solely by the influence of the sun's rays. Its motions are confined to the leaves, which are supported by long, flexible footstocks. When the sun shines, the leaves move briskly in every direction. Their general motion, however, is upward and downward. But they not unfrequently turn almost around; and then their footstocks are evidently twisted.

"The Dionaea muscipula, or Venus's fly-trap, a plant of Carolina, affords another instance of rapid vegetable motion. Its leaves are jointed, and furnished with two rows of strong spines. Their surfaces are covered with a number of minute glands, which secrete a sweet liquor, and allure the approach of flies. When these parts are touched by the legs of the fly, the two lobes of the leaf instantly rise up, the rows of spines lock themselves fast together, and squeeze the unwary animal to death. If a straw or pin be introduced between the lobes, the same motions are excited. "When a seed is sown in a reversed position, the young root turns downward to enter the earth, and the stem bends upward into the air. Confine a young stem to an inclined position, and its extremity will soon assume its former perpendicular direction."

The roots of a tree growing on dry or barren ground, in the neighborhood of that which is moist or fertile, become larger, longer, and more full in that direction than in any other, as if extending themselves to obtain the nourishment which can there be afforded them. If we twist the branch of a tree, so that the under surface of the leaves shall come uppermost, they gradually turn upon their footstocks till the proper side is exposed to the rays of the sun. This they will do repeatedly, until they have become injured by the exertion; and if the leaf be confined, so that it cannot resume its natural position, its stalk will become twisted by the effort to accomplish it. The sunflower, the leaves of the mallow, and some other plants, generally turn their faces toward the sun. The tendrils of plants, the other hand, move toward the shade, in whatever direction it may be. In a greenhouse, if exposed to the morning light, they direct themselves toward the west, at noon to the north, and at night to the east. They are also attracted by opaque bodies.

"Instances of a similar nature are afforded by what has been denominated the sleep of plants. The leaves of many are folded together during the night, and droop as if dying. In some instances they are so arranged, when in this state, as to serve as a cover to the flowers or young fruit. The flowers of other plants follow the same law, and close at the approach of night, for the apparent object of shelter and protection. In many of these instances, the motions so nearly resemble those of some of the lower animals, that it is not easy to say wherein they differ in principle."—Pages 18-20.

Of some of the very low animals he says, "They have a head, but no proper brain. The nervous system consists of a knotted cord, differently developed in different cases. They have the senses of sight, touch, and taste, and many of them probably those of hearing and smelling, though their organs are not obvious."—Page 44.

"Animals of a higher grade are found with a less perfect and less innate knowledge, but with a power of acquiring knowledge, till we come to man, in whom no knowledge is possessed at birth, but a high capacity for its attainment."—Page 392.

"The higher animals, though they come into life with various instincts, and often with much of the knowledge that is necessary to carry them into active operation, are capable, by observation, experience, and reflection, not only of modifying and improving them, of carrying them out more perfectly as they grow older, but also of applying them to subjects which do not originally fall within their province. Indeed, especially under the influence of education, they may be made to undertake operations which are entirely out of the sphere of instinct."—Pages 394-5.

"In those animals in which instinct is not the sole principle of activity, intelligence enters in various degrees, partakes its dominion, and co-operates with it. Intelligence has no preconceived ideas, it is destitute of any original knowledge, but it acquires both ideas and knowledge. It thinks, reasons, judges; perceives the purpose for which it acts, and in this way renders the instinctive powers, with which it is associated, subservient to its ends; enlarges the sphere within which they operate, imparts to them new impulses, and suggests to them new motives for activity. Instinct, within the field which it embraces, is the most certain guide; but its original field is limited, and without the aid of intelligence it is incapable of extension. With this aid it may be modified and improved, and the modification and improvement may be transmitted in some degree to succeeding generations.

"We have the most complete specimen of what instinct alone can do in such insects as the ant, bee, wasp, and spider; and of what intelligence can do, in such animals as the horse, dog, beaver, and elephant, and, more than all, in man. Instinct probably predominates in all animals below man, and the presence of a true intelligence is not directly detected below the vertebral animals, except among the higher species of articulata and mollusca. Its influence becomes more marked as we ascend through fishes, reptiles, and birds, to the mammalia; but it is only among the most elevated of the last that it assumes an important rank as a directing power, and it is never a predominant one except in man. This statement will be sufficient to show what a variety in animal character the influence of these two principles mingled in different proportions must produce, and to show also how difficult in each instance it must be to determine from which of them any given line of conduct on the part of an animal proceeds."—Page 404.

"Man thus stands on an eminence high above all other animals; and yet, so far as we are able to analyze their character, their faculties are not specifically distinct from his, but appear to differ from them rather in degree than in kind. Animals exhibit the same sentiments, the same affections, the same emotions, the same passions, as man. Their lives are governed by certain motives, and are directed to certain objects in common with his."—Page 405.

"In its general plan, the course which creation has taken from its beginning appears to have been that of progressive improvement, bringing out in the first instance the humblest and simplest forms of life, and then gradually introducing in the midst of them those of a higher and more complex character."—Pages 407-8.

I believe that this author has candidly stated the truth in the preceding extracts. We simply have an ascending gradation in the different forms of matter,—mineral, vegetable, and animal, lower and higher.

Here I might give innumerable examples of clearly defined reason, intelligence, or mind, in the lower animals. But waiving all this, we will grant just what our opponents claim; namely, that the dumb beasts never reason nor think; that they are wholly guided by instinct. Instinct moves them to eat, to drink, to open their eyes, to listen with their ears, to smell, to feel, to flee from danger, and to do a thousand things which we observe daily. This is all done by instinct, and the beast is merely organized matter, nothing else. Now see what follows from this; namely, that the Creator has so vitalized, so organized this matter that it can feel and hear, can eat and drink, can rise up and lie down, can defend itself, can come at a call, or go at a command, work, build houses, and do a thousand things. Even Bishop Clark, writing against our position, makes the following wonderful admission:—

"In fact, surveying the whole ground, we can hardly wonder at the enthusiasm with which a modern writer, quoted by Mr. Brodie, kindles up: 'There is,' says he, 'hardly a mechanical pursuit in which insects do not excel. They are excellent weavers, house-builders, architects; they make diving bells, bore galleries, raise vaults, construct bridges; they line their houses with tapestry, clean them, ventilate them, and close them with admirably fitted swing-doors; they build and store warehouses, construct traps in the greatest variety, hunt skillfully, rob and plunder; they poison, saber, and strangle their enemies; they have social laws, a common language, division of labor, and gradations of rank; they maintain armies, go to war, send out scouts, appoint sentinels, carry off prisoners, keep slaves, and tend domestic animals. In short they are a miniature copy of man rather than of the inferior vertebrata.' This description is highly wrought, but not so highly but that its substantial basis in fact will be readily recognized."—Man All Immortal, p. 95.

Reader, all this is done by mere matter. So the Bishop argues; so our opponents believe. Now if the blessed God can vitalize and organize matter so as to do all these wonderful things, can he not just as easily go a little farther and organize matter so as to think, be intelligent, and reason? We believe the conclusion is legitimate, and that facts in connection with the human mind show it is the truth. God has organized a material brain which does think and reason.

D. M. CANRIGHT.

(To be Concluded.)