NguDavid Swanson, World BEYOND War, UJanuwari 26, 2022
UChristopher Coker's Kutheni iMfazwe ingena kudidi lukaMargaret MacMillan Imfazwe: Ungqubana njani na thina, kaIan Morris Mfazwe: Buhle yintoni?, kunye noNeil deGrasse Tyson's Isincedisi kwiMfazwe. Benza iingxoxo ezahluke kakhulu ngemfazwe, kodwa bafana ngobubhanxa ngokubanzi ukuze kubonakale ngathi sisenzo sesisa esigqithisileyo ukude banike isidima amagama abo “njengeengxabano.” Incwadi kaCoker, njengeMacMillan's kodwa ngaphantsi koko, inikezela ngamaphepha amaninzi kwii-tangents kunye nokungahambelani.
ndine ingxoxo ezayo apho ndiya kuba ndixoxa ukuba imfazwe ayinakuze igwetywe. Ingxoxo enjalo ngokuqhelekileyo kunye nengqiqo iqala ngaphaya kwengcamango yokuba imfazwe ayinakuphepheka. Ndilindele ukuba umchasi wam aphikisane, hayi ukuba abantu bagwetyelwe emfazweni njengokulamba, ukunxanwa, ukulala, njl.
Ewe "imfazwe ayinakuphepheka" kwaye "imfazwe iyathetheleleka" ihlala ibhideka. Ukuba imfazwe ibingenakuphepheka ungasebenzisa oko ukuthethelela ukulungiselela iimfazwe ukuze uphumelele kunokuba uphulukane nazo. Ukuba imfazwe ibithetheleleka ngandlel’ ithile ehlala ihleli, unokuyisebenzisa loo nto ukuxoxa ngokungenakuphepheka kwayo. Incwadi kaCoker ithi kumaphepha ayo okuqala imfazwe ayinakuphepheka, ukuba ukuphelisa imfazwe "kukukhohlisa okukhulu," ukuba “[w]e akasayi kubaleka emfazweni,” ngelixa exuba oku kunye namabango okuba imfazwe isengqiqweni kwaye iluncedo. Ngasekupheleni kwencwadi, emva kokuvunywa izihlandlo ezininzi ngendlela emanyumnyezi ngayo imfazwe, ubhala athi “Ngaba siya kuze sibone ukuphela kwemfazwe? Mhlawumbi, ngenye imini . . . .” Ngaba incwadi enjalo ifanelwe kukuchaswa, okanye ngaba isikhalazo senkcitho yexesha siyafaneleka ngakumbi?
I-Coker, ekuhambeni kwencwadi, iphinda idlale lo mxholo jikelele. Ngaxa lithile ubeka amabango exesha elide ukusukela oko axokisiwe nguStephen Pinker malunga nemfazwe yangaphambi kwembali, emva koko abalise ezinye zeenyani ezingathandekiyo ezingahambelani namabango kaPinker, kwaye uqukumbele ngelithi, “Ekugqibeleni, ongeyongcali kufuneka ahambe namathumbu akhe. Kwaye ndiyakhetha. . . . ” Kodwa ngelo xesha, kutheni umntu efanele akhathalele oko akukhethayo?
Akukho mfuneko yokuba nabani na "ahambe namathumbu akhe," njengoko ndiza kuzama ukucacisa. Ndifuna nje ukucacisa kuqala, kuba ezi ncwadi azikho, ukuba kukho ulwahlulo phakathi kokubanga ukuba imfazwe ayinakuphepheka kwaye ibango lokuba imfazwe ilungile kuthi. Okanye inokuba yinyani ngaphandle komnye. Zombini zinokuba yinyaniso. Okanye, njengoko kwenzeka ngokwenene, zombini zinokuba bubuxoki.
Ingcamango yokuba imfazwe ayinakuphepheka ikhokelela kwiingxaki ezininzi. Enye kukuba abantu benza ukhetho, kwaye indlela yokuziphatha yenkcubeko yenziwa yolo khetho. Loo ngxaki inye yanele ukumisa yonke imfazwe-ayinakuphepheka uloliwe, kodwa kukho ezinye. Enye kukuba akukho mfazwe yokwenyani yomntu apho singenako ukubalisa ukhetho olwenziweyo kunye nendlela ukhetho olwahlukileyo olunokuthi lwenziwe. Enye ingxaki kukuba uluntu lonke luye lwakhetha ukuhlala ngaphandle kwemfazwe ixesha elide. Isahlulo sesithathu sesokuba abantu abaninzi, kwanaphantsi koorhulumente abalwa imfazwe, baphila ubomi babo bonke ngaphandle kokuba nenxaxheba kwimfazwe, yaye abo banento yokwenza nayo badla ngokubandezeleka. Kuluntu olwakha lweva ngemfazwe, unokufumana abantu abathile ukuba bafune ukuthatha inxaxheba, nangona ngokuqhelekileyo bengabaninzi abaya kwenza konke okusemandleni abo ukuyiphepha, ingasabeli izihlwele eziya kuthabatha inxaxheba kuphela xa zinyanzelisiwe. Akukho lizwe eMhlabeni linesibhedlele sabaxhwalekileyo emfazweni, okanye umthetho wokunyanzela abantu ukuba batye, balale, basele, benze uthando, benze abahlobo, benze ubugcisa, bacule, okanye baxambulisane, ngeentlungu zentolongo okanye ukufa. Uninzi lweencwadi ezixoxa ngokungaphephekiyo kwento ethile azigqibi ngokuthi “Ngaba siya kuze sisibone isiphelo sayo? Mhlawumbi, ngenye imini . . . .”
Kukwakho nengxaki yendlela ezahluke ngayo izinto ezibizwa ngokuba yimfazwe namhlanje, kwiminyaka engama-200 eyadlulayo, kwiminyaka engama-2,000 eyadlulayo, kwizizwe ezinemikhosi emikhulu, nakuluntu olusebenzisa imikhonto. Ityala eliqinileyo linokwenziwa ukuba umqhubi we-drone kunye nomkhonto ababandakanyeki kumsebenzi ofanayo, kwaye xa uCoker ebhala "Imfazwe ayinakwenzeka ukuba asizange sizimisele ukwenza imibingelelo omnye komnye," mhlawumbi akabhekiseli. ukugxotha abaqhubi beenqwelo-moya, abongameli, oonobhala bemfazwe, abenzi benzuzo ngezixhobo, amagosa anyuliweyo, abalawuli beendaba, abafundi beendaba, okanye iingcali, ababonakala ngathi benza imfazwe bebodwa ngaphandle kokuncama okuthile.
Ingcamango yokuba imfazwe iluncedo iqhubela phambili ngokuchasene neengxaki zayo, kubandakanywa ukuba imfazwe ngunobangela ophambili wokufa kunye nokwenzakala kunye nokwenzakala kunye nokubandezeleka nokungabi namakhaya, umtshabalalisi ohamba phambili wobutyebi kunye nepropati, umqhubi oyintloko weengxaki zababaleki, unobangela omkhulu ukutshatyalaliswa kokusingqongileyo kunye netyhefu yomoya, amanzi kunye nomhlaba, umjikelezi ophezulu wemithombo yobutyebi kude nezidingo zabantu kunye nokusingqongileyo, imbangela yomngcipheko we-apocalypse yenyukliya, ukulungelelaniswa kwemfihlo karhulumente, isiseko esiyintloko sokukhukuliseka kwenkululeko yoluntu, Igalelo elingaguqukiyo kwintiyo kunye nobundlobongela bobuhlanga, esona sikhubekiso ekusekeni umthetho okanye intsebenziswano yehlabathi kwiingxaki zehlabathi ezingakhethiyo ezithi izizwe zehlabathi zisilele ukuzilungisa ngokufanelekileyo, ezinje ngokuwa kwemozulu kunye nobhubhane wezifo, kwaye enyanisweni Yavuma intlekele ukuba abaxhasi bayo nayiphi na imfazwe banokuthenjwa ngokupheleleyo ukuba benze ngathi "yisigqibo sabo sokugqibela."
Umahluko endiwenzayo phakathi kwebango lobuxoki lokuba imfazwe ayinakuphepheka kwaye ibango lobuxoki lokuba imfazwe iluncedo alikho kwincwadi emdaka kaCoker, kungekuphela nje ngenxa yokuba ibhuqiwe, ayilungelelaniswanga, kwaye ithambekele kwizinto ezingabalulekanga, kodwa nangenxa yokuba ifuna yenza ingxoxo yobuxoki kaDarwin yokuba imfazwe yinzuzo yendaleko, kwaye le ngenelo ngandlel’ ithile yenza ukuba imfazwe ibe yinto engenakuthintelwa (ngaphandle kokuba ayenzi ngenxa yokuba “mhlawumbi ngenye imini . . . “).
UCoker akenzi kangako ingxabano njengokutyibilika kwiingqikelelo njengoko exukuxa. Ubhekisela “kwisizathu sokuba abafana batsaleleke emfazweni kwasekuqaleni” nangona inkoliso yabafana ngokucacileyo ingekho, yaye kwibutho labantu elingenamfazwe, akukho namnye umfana okhe watsaleleka kuyo. Uthi: "Imfazwe yaqala emva kumakhulu amawaka eminyaka," kodwa oku kuvela ukuba kusekwe ngokuyintloko kumathumbu akhe, ezinye iingqikelelo malunga. Homo erectus, kunye nenani elipheleleyo lencwadi elinoziro. "U-Immanuel Kant uye wavuma ukuba sinobundlobongela ngendalo," uCoker usixelela, ngaphandle kokubonisa ukuba sinokuphuma kwiingcamango zenkulungwane yeshumi elinesibhozo "ngendalo."
Enyanisweni uCoker utsiba ukusuka apho ukuya kumzila umoya kaGqr. Pangloss ukusazisa ukuba imfazwe ikhokelela ekuzaleni phakathi, okubangela ukwanda kwinqanaba le-IQ, ukuze, "Kukho isizathu esinengqiqo ngokugqibeleleyo sokuba kutheni sibandakanyeka kwizinto ezihlala zibonakala. ukuba yindlela ebonakala ingekho ngqiqweni ngayo.” Imfazwe inokuba buhlungu kodwa ingabi buhlungu njengokusilela kukaVoltaire ukunamathela kule nto! Ungaze ucinge ukuba oku kukuphambana ngokupheleleyo. Makhe siqwalasele nje le ngcamango yokuziphatha okunengqiqo engazange ithethwe okanye, ngokokwazi kwethu, kwanokucinga. Ngokuqhelekileyo iimfazwe zibhengezwa njengeemfazwe zomnqamlezo nxamnye nabathengi bezixhobo zangaphandle bajike baba mbi baza ngandlel’ ithile babe ngoozwilakhe ngakumbi, kungekhona njengendlela yokuvelisa inzala nabangendawo basemzini. Kwaye, hayi, uCoker akathethi ngeemfazwe zamandulo. Uthi: “Abantu banogonyamelo olungenakuphepheka. Uyathetha ngoku. Kwaye ngonaphakade. (Kodwa mhlawumbi hayi ngenye imini.)
UCoker ungqina ukuba imfazwe ayinakuphepheka ubukhulu becala ngokukhomba izinto ezininzi ezingaqhelekanga zobukrelekrele bezinye izilwanyana kunye neentsilelo zabantu, ngaphandle kokuchaza ukuba nayiphi na kwezi zinto ingqina nantoni na. “Nathi siphenjelelwa, andithi, asiphenjelelwa zizinto ezivuselela umdla ezinjengokutya okukhawulezayo (nangona kungenasondlo esincinane kunezinye) kunye neemodeli ezithengiweyo zeefoto (abathi nangona benomtsalane ngokufuthi bangabi krelekrele kangako kunabanye abantu).” Eyona mfihlakalo inkulu apha, ndicinga ukuba, ngaba abanangqondo encinci kunomntu okholelwa ukuba umfanekiso wefotoshop unenqanaba lobukrelekrele. Inqaku libonakala ngathi ngandlel 'ithile kukuzingca kweentlobo-ntlobo zokuvuma uxanduva lwethu (kunye nokukwazi) ukukhetha indlela esiziphatha ngayo. Kodwa, ewe, isenokuba kukungazi kakuhle ukuba ungakwenzi oko.
Olunye ulwazi oluphambili oluvela kuCoker endingenziyo:
"[H] abantu bazimisele ukubulalana, bebeka umngcipheko kubo." (iphepha 16) (ngaphandle kwabaninzi babo abangenjalo)
“[W]ar ibe yenye yezona ndlela zisebenzayo zokuphucula 'ukufaneleka kwethu kwikamva.'” (iphepha 19) (ngaphandle kokuba oku akunantsingiselo, okungaqondakaliyo kwe-fascistic, ubuvuvu nokuba ii-nukes azipheli ekuchazeni ukufaneleka kwethu)
"Imfazwe iyaqhubeka nokuhlangabezana neemfuno zethu zentlalo nangokwengqondo." (iphepha 19) (ngaphandle kokuba akukho lunxulumano phakathi komkhosi wezizwe kunye namanqanaba olonwabo lwezizwe, umva kakhulu)
"Imfazwe yinto eyenza sibe ngabantu." (iphepha 20) (ngaphandle kokuba uninzi lwethu olungenanto yakwenza nemfazwe asizizo imvubu)
“Ukuthabatheka kwethu kwihlabathi liphela yimfazwe” (iphepha 22) (ihlabathi jikelele ngaphezu kokuthabatheka kwethu yi-COVID?)
“Uxolo lunokuqhekeka. Kusenokuqhambuka imfazwe . . . .” (iphepha 26) (ngoko, kutheni kukhankanywa abantu konke konke? oku kubonakala kungumsebenzi weengcali zemozulu)
"Ngaba ubukrelekrele bokwenziwa buza kuthatha imfazwe ezandleni zethu?" (iphepha 27) (ukuba uza kwenza imfazwe ingenakuthintelwa ngabantu abangengobantu, kutheni ubanga ukuba ubuntu bobuntu buyinto eyenza imfazwe iphephe?)
‘Ilungelo’ lokubulawa ngomnye umntu kuphela, nokuba udubula umjukujelwa kumgama ongamawaka eekhilomitha, lisenokuba lelona lungelo lisisiseko esizibanga ngokwethu.” (iphepha 38-39) (Andikwazi noku)
UCoker, ngetyala lakhe, uzama impendulo kwi-paradox yemfazwe-ngumntu wesini. Imfazwe yayikade ichazwa njengengenakuphepheka, yendalo, kunye nendoda. Ngoku abafazi abaninzi bayayenza. Ukuba abafazi banokuyichola, kutheni amadoda nabafazi bengenakuyibeka phantsi? Kodwa uCoker ukhomba nje imizekelo embalwa yabafazi abathile ababebandakanyeka emfazweni kudala. Akukho mpendulo kwaphela.
UCoker uthi kwakhona "imfazwe ibiyeyona nto iphambili kuzo zonke iindlela zobomi esizenzileyo ukuza kuthi ga ngoku. Iqhelekile kuzo zonke iinkcubeko namaxesha onke; lidlulela kokubini ixesha nendawo.” Kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo oku akuyonyani. Akukhange kubekho nkqubela-phambili kwihlabathi jikelele ngokusebenzisa iintlobo ezingcono zoluntu, njengoko uCoker ecinga, kodwa njengoko kwachazwa kakuhle Ukusa kwayo yonke into, kungakhathaliseki ukuba wenza ntoni na ngalo naliphi na elinye ibango kuloo ncwadi. Kwaye uninzi lwe-anthropologists lunayo ziweyo ukungabikho kwemfazwe kwiindawo ezininzi zomhlaba ixesha elide.
Yintoni enokwenziwa yincwadi efana nekaCoker, nangona kunjalo, iyasiphazamisa kwinto elula endiyithandayo ukuba nomfanekiso kaJean-Paul Sartre ephuma emhlabeni, intloko yakhe ijikeleza iidigri ezingama-360, kwaye esikhwaza: nokuba wonke umntu ebesoloko enemfazwe, besinokukhetha ukungakwenzi oko.
