Origin of Humans
Tusi believed that humans were derived from advanced animals. He wrote about the different transition forms between the human and animal world, saying: "Such humans [probably anthropoid apes] live in the Western Sudan and other distant corners of the world. They are close to animals by their habits, deeds and behavior."
Tusi said that humans are related to all living and inanimate creatures of Nature: "The human has features that distinguish him from other creatures, but he has other features that unite him with the animal world, vegetable kingdom or even with the inanimate bodies."
As to the differences, Tusi wrote that humans are not only biological, but also social beings: "Before [the creation of humans], all differences between organisms were of the natural origin. The next step will be associated with spiritual perfection, will, observation and knowledge."
According to Tusi, humans are distinct from animals because they are able to make professional tools (instruments). In conclusion, Tusi wrote: "All these facts prove that the human being is placed on the middle step of the evolutionary stairway. According to his inherent nature, the human is related to the lower beings, and only with the help of his will can he reach the higher development level."
Allegory or Science?
So why isn't Tusi widely known for developing the theory of evolution? It isn't just because he was from the East and wrote in Persian. Tusi's theory is based on philosophy and Islam. He believed that God created the world, and that after creation occurred, the world developed on its own, while God supervises and guides this process.
As a result, Eastern scientists who are familiar with Tusi's views about the perfection of the world have tended to interpret them from a religious or philosophical point of view. Many Muslims don't agree with the theory of evolution, just as some Christians don't, because it contradicts official theology. Although Tusi points at some of the same principles that Darwin developed, Eastern scientists consider Tusi's views as an allegory about the perfection of the human soul *not as naturalistic theory.
Bookmarks