David Sérgio de
Gouvêa:
“The intelligent
principle
in any
kingdom must
first learn
first before it
is
able to
produce”
Our fellow
Spiritist from
the Brazilian
state of Minas
Gerais, a
lecturer of
Electric
Engineering at
the Universidade
Federal de Juiz
de Fora, talks
about the
“Intelligent
Principle”
|
David Sérgio (photo)
is a lecturer at
the Engineering
Faculty at the
Federal
University in
the city of Juiz
de Fora. He
believes he has
been a Spiritist
from birth.
David Sérgio has
been researching
the issue of the
“Intelligent
Principle”,
taking it to
conferences and
debates across
the country. And
that is the main
theme of this
interview he
gave us:
|
Does the
intelligent
principle really
need to go
through the
mineral kingdom,
as stated by
Spiritism in its
evolutionary
proposal? |
In question 585
of The
Spirits’ Book,
Allan Kardec
explains that
there is an
apparent
progression in
the properties
of the different
kingdoms –
mineral, vegetal
and animal. In
the mineral
kingdom, we have
mechanical
force. In the
vegetal kingdom,
vitality is
added to the
mechanical
force. In the
animal kingdom,
we keep the two
previous forces
and gain the
intelligent
principle. In
the human
kingdom, the
“being” becomes
a spirit, as it
gains conscience
of God and
himself. In
question 606,
Kardec says the
intelligent
principle
appears in the
animal kingdom
as a precursor
“being” of the
Spirit in the
human kingdom.
In question 540,
we learn that
everything
evolves “from
the atom to the
archangel, who
also began as
atom.” We do not
know how the
“being” is
created (Kardec’s
Genesis,
chapter XI,
question 7), but
we know that the
intelligent
principle comes
from the
universal
intelligent
element (The
Spirits’ Book,
question 79)
and that we
are created
simple and
ignorant
(question 115),
with potential
for future
development.
However, taking
into account the
previous
comments, we
will understand
that the “being”
created simple
and ignorant
must go through
the various
kingdoms,
acquiring
knowledge and
aiming to reach
the angelic
state.
What is your
personal view on
this issue?
The learning
process can be
identified in
the vegetal and
animal kingdom,
but the
development of
organic life is
not part of the
mineral kingdom.
The codification
of Spiritism is
not explicit
about the
intelligent
principle in the
mineral kingdom,
but I tried to
formulate a
hypothesis based
on other
Spiritist
authors and
subsidiary
works. I believe
that the
intelligent
principle is
linked to
organic (or
cellular) life
first in the
vegetal kingdom.
My theoretical
hypothesis is
that the
learning process
– gathering
information –
must come before
we have the
capacity of
carrying out a
particular task.
In other words,
the intelligent
principle in any
kingdom must
first learn
first before it
is able to
produce.
How much does
Biology know
about this at
the present
stage?
We know that any
cell, even the
most primitive
one, needs some
kind of
organisation to
function – to
maintain its
molecular
structures, such
as the cellular
membrane, and to
carry out
functional
tasks, such as
feeding. We know
that the cell,
by its molecular
structure, must
“know” how to
keep the various
organic
molecules in
their positions
in the cellular
membrane in
order to keep
the membrane’s
integrity. That
is required so
it can carry out
the feeding
process, by
barring the
entrance of
toxins, allowing
the exit of
processed
elements and
keeping vital
elements inside
the cell. How
could the
intelligent
principle have
acquired the
necessary
information for
organic life it
this “being” is
still in the
mineral kingdom
and has not
acquired any
kind of
knowledge? It
could have been
acquired
previously, in
experiences
where it is
essential to
keep the
molecular
structure. That
could have
happened in the
mineral kingdom,
where mechanical
force is a
reality.
Therefore, to
answer the
question “Where
could have the
intelligent
principle
gathered the
information
about molecular
structure?” we
could say: “in a
kingdom where
the main
function is
mechanical
force, or the
mineral
kingdom.”
Is that clear in
Allan Kardec’s
Codification of
Spiritism?
There is no
ostensive
mention of the
Spirit’s transit
through the
mineral kingdom,
except for
question 540 of
The Spirits’
Book, where
this question is
mentioned. But
complementary
Spiritist books
by Emmanuel and
André Luiz, as
well as Léon
Denis and Jorge
Andrea, talk
about it.
If the Spirit
rests in the
mineral kingdom,
how does it
eventually wake
up?
In my view, the
“being” must
first learn, or
acquire
information,
before being
able to produce.
The intelligent
principle must
have acquired
the information
it needs to
control the
molecular
structure of the
cells in a
previous stage –
the mineral
kingdom – before
reaching the
vegetal kingdom.
When do you
believe humanity
will have a
deeper
understanding of
this issue?
There is a
comment in
Kardec’s
Genesis,
chapter XI,
question 7 about
“how human
beings are
created.” But in
the answer, the
Spiritual
Benefactors say
that such
revelation is
out of our
reach. It is
useless or
harmful. On the
other hand, our
spiritual
progress is
constant and we
are going to
reach,
eventually, the
stage of pure
Spirits. And
then we will
certainly know
the answers to
such questions.
How do your
pears in the
academia view
the evolutionary
proposal put
forward by
Spiritism?
There is some
Spiritist
research work
being carried
out taking a
scientific
approach but I
do not believe
the academia,
universities or
lectures, are
interested in
matters linked
to Spiritism.