Where To Find Human Flaws In Nonmoral Nature By Stephen Gould

777 Words4 Pages

Where to Find Human Flaws
What are the flaws of humans, and where do we find them? Many researchers like Charles Darwin struggle with this question. Their research runs on the basis of genetics, evolution, and the fact that nature lives in its own independent state-unrelated to foolish humans. However, many natural theologians believe God creates everything for a purpose so why does evil rear its ugly head in nature and in humans? According to Darwin’s logic evil helps humans survive, while natural theologians believe evil obtains a greater purpose; natural theologians conclude God is moral and benevolent so the evil in nature and humans must be moral as well. Throughout “Nonmoral Nature” by Stephen Gould these two sides dispute about evils …show more content…

Natural theologians rely on God as a scapegoat for eveything that happens in our world. When humans commit an uninmaginably evil act, they look at God to find the morality in the situation. A situation of evil in nature recalls the glorified “ichneumon flies.” Gould works in a continuous metaphor of humans to the “ichneumons” as he explains in paragraph 3 they represent habits of an enormous tribe-humans. Gould portrays “The ichneuomon, like most wasp, generally live freely as adults but pass their larva life as parasites feeding on the bodies of other animals, almost invariably members if their own phylum, the Arthropoda” (Paragraph 4). Gould utilises exemplification of “ichneumon fles” to illustrate a major habit of selfishness within humans. Not only do “ichneumons” kill other living animals, they feed “on the bodies.” Larva feed on the other animals so that they themselves grow big and flourish in nature, while the victim withers away with each bite taken from the wasp. Humans according to Gould do the same in society just as the “ichneumons” do with their victims. Natural theologians face upward, as opposed to looking at themselves, to try and find a happy ending in these …show more content…

However, this troubling mindset alters when Gould uses an anecdote of when “The Reverend William Kirby, rector of Barham, and Britain’s foremost entomologist, chose to ignore the plight of caterpillars and focused instead upon the virtue of mother love displayed by wasps in provisioning their young with such care” (Paragraph 17). Gould exhibits Reverend Kirby ignores creulty to focus on “the virtue of mother love.” Selfishly turning a blind eye to evil, as so many humans do, invites more space to obsess over love an animal uses during a murder of another being. As one species flourishes exceptionally in nature one group diminishes into the background noise. Natural theologians find a reason for creulty and they are able to believe in God and his values. Even so, what’s at stake if people decide caring for young trumps the plight of ceterpillars? Humans choose themselves and society begins to crumble with every action of ingorant