The Mystery Of Human Origin Essay, Research Paper
The mystery of human origin is an often-debated topic. It is an issue that can never be proven, something as vague as the existence of God, the proof of a human soul, or even as evasive as the human psyche itself. The debate itself is divided between two main camps: the Evolutionists, who concur with Darwin’s theory of evolution, survival of the fittest, and natural selection. They believe that mankind evolved from earlier versions of hominids, which in turn evolved from earlier primates. The other camp follows the theory of Creationism, preferring the Bible to the works of Darwin. They claim that mankind was created by God as in Genesis. Both sides attempt to use scientific fact to back their claims, although the Creationists tend to proclaim faith as their main source of conviction. As for my own personal opinion, I tend to reside nearer the Evolutionist side of the argument. I believing that God, or whatever divine being or force that exists, spun the celestial matter that makes the basis for any and all substance throughout the universe in such a way to cause it all to unfold as a pattern, a preordained system that perpetuates itself. This system is evolution, the gradual complication of life forms via adaptation and genetic mutation. While this may all seem a bit vague and metaphysical, I will attempt to explain my views in a more rational manner.
To say that evolution is untrue is, to me, a fallacy. Archeological evidence supports evolution in hundreds of ways. One example is Archaeopteryx. This fossil appears to be the missing link between dinosaurs and birds, a clear definition of what the theory of evolution predicts. More specifically to the study of human origins, archeological findings have uncovered scores of fossils dating from far in the past, fossils that appears to be human at first glance, but contain markedly different features. These fossils give evidence to the theory of evolution, for they illustrate that mankind follows the evolutionary line as well, coming from ancestors who were not in fact human, but some sort of early man. A creature more primitive, with a smaller brain and more apelike features. Findings such as Peking Man, Neanderthal Man, Homo Robustus, Homo Erectus and other hominid species all point to human evolution. Factually, evolution far outweighs Creationism as a valid theory.
Creationism, while in all ways Biblical and worthy of respect, is not, to me, a logical theory. First of all, Creationism defies modern scientific data. Creationists claim that the Earth is much younger than the Evolutionists claim, despite data from Carbon-14 readings that find the Earth to be billions of years old. Much of their argument rests in twisting of information, in rewording scientific data, and attempting to disprove current scientific methods and instruments. As in people, I see negative enforcement as an admission of guilt and fallacy, and, thus, cannot accept the arguments of Creationists as worthy methods of debate. Also, the Creationist view is based on the Bible, which itself is a man-made collection of stories written by an ancient, Middle Eastern people. To me, basing the history of the world, the history of mankind, on a book, no matter how divinely inspired, is illogical. Now, if the Bible could be supported with sound scientific evidence, then Creationism would be hard to disprove. However, Biblical claims are often quite the opposite. They tend to be contrary to current findings, giving rise to criticism and question of authenticity. The Creationist view appears to be a view based on what ones mother and father told them, not what educated humans have found to be true.
Human origin is a topic that can never truly be proven. While one can find evidence to support one side or the other, a clear-cut account of what actually happen is quite impossible. Therefore, humans must attempt to rationally and objectively ascertain the origin of the human species with what given evidence is available. When one does this, with the current information that we have today, the answer is quite clear:
Evolution.
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