Broaden Horizons: The Knowledge Scope of Educational Administrators

Author: Editor-in-Chief: Han Zhen et al
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1997-08-01
Features: Excerpt: The concept of "nature" is divided into narrow and broad definitions. Narrowly defined, nature refers to the material world distinct from human society, or the natural world, also known as nature. It is the sum of all matter, including non-living systems such as fundamental particles (or quantum fields), atoms, and molecules, up to celestial bodies; it also includes living systems such as aggregates (microspheres), cells, plants, animals, up to human bodies. Broadly defined, nature includes not only the natural world but also human society. Humans evolved from the natural world and, using their brains and hands, are increasingly altering its appearance while also creating things that did not originally exist: skyscrapers, railways, cars, computers, and so on. The materialization of this social labor is what we call "artificial nature." Nature is miraculous. In the Warring States period (300 BC), the great poet Qu Yuan, in his masterpiece Heavenly Questions, posed 172 questions in one breath: Does this vast universe have an origin? How can one study it when it was once chaotic and undifferentiated, with heaven and earth not yet separated? How can one investigate the nine-tiered dome of the sky, so magnificent and grand? Why do the sun and moon hang high without falling, illuminating the world for millennia? Today, people can still ask more profound questions: How was the universe born? How did life arise? Where did humans come from? What laws govern the ceaseless movement of all things in the world? How did the world transition from chaos to order, and reach its current vibrant diversity? Where is it headed? These questions are as old as humanity itself, yet they almost invariably touch upon the frontiers of modern science. To avoid repetition, we will explore the footsteps of human research into these questions together in the third part, Science. In this part, however, we will focus on discussing the relationship between humans and nature.
Human and Nature
I. Humans Evolved from Nature
Twenty million years ago, due to global mountain-building movements and abrupt climate changes in nature, forested areas were greatly reduced, and gaps between tree clusters widened, forcing ancient apes to leave the forests and adapt to life on the ground. The ground environment was different from the forest—it had fewer wild fruits, fewer places to shelter from wind and rain or defend against predators. To survive, they had to be able to run and jump, and learn more complex skills to gather fruits, build shelters, and defend themselves. Harsh environmental conditions led to more exercise and development of their upper limbs, and a division of labor began between hands and feet. Many ancient apes became extinct because they could not adapt to the new way of life. Only those whose physical structures, physiological functions, and living habits could gradually adapt to the changes survived. The liberation of the hand further promoted the upright walking of ancient apes. As Engels said, "If the upright walking of our hairy ancestors was first a custom and later became inevitable, then this must have been based on the premise that the hand was increasingly engaged in other activities during this period." The division of labor between hands and feet, and upright walking—"this marked the decisive step from ape to human." The liberation of the hand paved the way for tool-making. On the ground, ancient apes initially used natural tools—stones, branches, or animal long bones—as weapons against enemies or tools for obtaining food. Over a long period, their proficiency in using natural tools increased, and hands and feet further differentiated. The quantity and quality of natural tools could no longer meet their needs, so the demand to create tools arose. At first, this may have been merely accidental, but gradually, it became a skill. Moving from using natural tools to consciously making tools was another leap in the transition from ape to human, as Engels said, "Labor begins with the making of tools."