2017 07 The Light July 2017

July 2017 The
Light 4
there is one treatise in Persian, Arabic and Turkish.
During his stay in Nishapur, Tusi established
a reputation as an exceptional scholar.
Tusi’s prose writings represent one of the largest
collections by a single Islamic author.
Writing in both Arabic and Persian, Nasir al-
Din Tusi dealt with both religious (“Islamic”)
topics and non-religious or secular subjects
(“the ancient sciences”). His works include the
definitive Arabic versions of the works of Euclid,
Archimedes, Ptolemy, Autolycus, and Theodosius
of Bithynia.
In his Akhlaq-i-Nasri, Tusi put forward a
basic theory of the evolution of species almost
600 years before Charles Darwin was born. He
begins his theory of evolution with the universe
once consisting of equal and similar elements.
According to Tusi, internal contradictions
began appearing, and as a result, some substances
began developing faster and differently
from other substances. He then explains how
the elements evolved into minerals, then plants,
then animals, and then humans. Tusi then goes
on to explain how hereditary variability was an
important factor for biological evolution of living
things:
and help each other.”
Tusi recognised three types of living things:
plants, animals, and humans. He wrote:
“Animals are higher than plants, because
they are able to move consciously, go after food,
find and eat useful things. […] There are many
differences between the animal and plant species,
[…] First, the animal kingdom is more complicated.
Besides, reason is the most beneficial
feature of animals. Owing to reason, they can
learn new things and adopt new, non-inherent
abilities. For example, the trained horse or
hunting falcon is at a higher point of development
in the animal world. The first steps of human
perfection begin from here.”
The Astronomical Observatory of Nasir
al-Dī n Tusi.
“The organisms that can gain the new features
faster are more variable. As a result, they
gain advantages over other creatures. […] The
bodies are changing as a result of the internal
and external interactions.”
Tusi discusses how organisms are able to
adapt to their environments:
“Look at the world of animals and birds.
They have all that is necessary for defence, protection
and daily life, including strengths, courage
and appropriate tools [organs] […] Some of
these organs are real weapons, […] For example,
horns-spear, teeth and claws-knife and needle,
feet and hoofs-cudgel. The thorns and needles
of some animals are similar to arrows. […] Animals
that have no other means of defence (as
the gazelle and fox) protect themselves with the
help of flight and cunning. […] Some of them, for
example, bees, ants and some bird species, have
united in communities to protect themselves
I Shall Love All Mankind.
Tusi then explains how humans evolved
from advanced animals:
“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 behaviour. […] The human
has features that distinguish him from
other creatures, but he has other features that