Ukuziphatha: Ngaba ilungele ntoni?

Iinkqubo zokuziphatha komntu ekugqibeleni ziyindalo: ziveliswa bubuchopho, kwaye iingqondo zenziwe ngeendlela eziguqukayo kukhetho lwendalo lweDarwin. Njengalo lonke uhlengahlengiso lwebhayiloji (njengeentliziyo, izibeleko, kunye nezandla), ezi ndlela zisombulula iingxaki ezinxulumene nokusinda nokuzala komntu. Imigwebo yokuziphatha kwabantu inokuthi ithathelwe ingqalelo njengeyona mveliso iphambili, okanye kungenjalo njengemveliso yangaphakathi, yezi ndlela. Isikizi malunga nokudibana nesizalwane sakho, umzekelo, yeyona nto iphambili kwimveliso eyilelwe ukuthintela ukuzala. Utyekelo lokugxeka ukwenzakala okungafunekiyo kwizilwanyana, kwelinye icala, kunokwenzeka ukuba yinto eveliswa ziinkqubo ezisebenza ikakhulu ukwenza uvelwano nabantu, kunye nokubhengeza ububele bomntu kwabanye abantu. (Qaphela ukuba ukuthathela ingqalelo uphawu njengemveliso ephuma kwimveliso yaseprayimari ayithethi nto kwaphela ngexabiso layo lentlalontle).

Olunye uhlengahlengiso lwengqondo lokuziphatha okuhambelana nokuziphatha kusombulula iingxaki ezikhoyo phantse kuzo zonke iimeko zabantu (umzekelo, ingxaki yokuphepha ukuzala). Ezinye zizisombululo kwiingxaki ezinzima kakhulu kwezinye iindawo kunezinye, kwaye esi sesona sizathu siphambili sokuba- nangona imeko yendalo yomntu isisiseko esinye senkcubeko-ezinye zeendlela zokuziphatha ziyahluka kakhulu kwiinkcubeko. Umzekelo, kwiindawo apho ukufikelela kwizixhobo kuxhomekeke ikakhulu kwimpumelelo emfazweni — njengakwezoluntu lwasentabeni iNew Guinea, okanye iindawo eziphakathi kweYurophu yamandulo — abantu kusenokwenzeka ukuba baxhase imikhwa yasemkhosini njengoburhalarhume ubugwala.

Uhlengahlengiso lwengqondo lomntu lunokudala iinkqubo zexabiso ezintsha ezisombulula iingxaki kuluhlu olubanzi lwemimandla eguqukayo. Iimpawu ezikhuthaza uphando lwezenzululwazi, umzekelo, zinceda ukusombulula iingxaki ezinxulumene nokutya (isayensi yezolimo), ukusinda (amayeza), urhwebo (ukuveliswa kwemizi-mveliso), kunye neminye imimandla emininzi. Ukukwazi kwabantu ukuyila iinkqubo zokuziphatha ezintsha sesinye isizathu sokuba isimilo sihluka kwiinkcubeko zonke, kwaye abaphandi abanjengo-biologist uRichard Alexander kunye no-anthropologist uRobert Boyd bacebise ukuba oku kwahluka ngokwenkcubeko kungakhokelela njani kwindaleko yokuziphatha. Abantu bayalungelelaniswa ngokwendalo ukuze bakhuphisane ngokwamaqela, kwaye uncedo olubalulekileyo olunokuba nalo kwelinye iqela yinkqubo yokuziphatha ekhuthaza ngcono impumelelo yokhuphiswano. Ukuba iimpawu zenkqubo yokuziphatha koluntu (ezinje ngamaxabiso akhuthaza inkqubela phambili kwezenzululwazi) ziluncedo kuluntu kukhuphiswano lwamaqela, inkqubo yokuziphatha inokuthandwa "kukhetho lweqela lenkcubeko" ( hayi into efanayo nokukhethwa kweqela lebhayoloji, yinkqubo apho abantu baguqukayo ukuze baxhamle amaqela abo ngokuxakekisa ubomi babo, kwaye kubonakala kungenamsebenzi njengenkcazo ecacileyo yokuziphatha kwabantu; ngeenkcukacha jonga inqaku likaSteven Pinker okanye uphononongo lwencwadi yam). Ngokwembali, amaqela aneenkqubo zokuziphatha ezixhobisayo noko ziye zithambekele ekuthatheni indawo amaqela aneenkqubo zokuziphatha ezinesidima, kunye nokuxeliswa ngamaqela abuthathaka anqwenela ukulinganisa impumelelo yabo. Ngale nkqubo, ukuphumelela iifomula zokuziphatha ziye zathambekela ekusasazeni ngelahleko.

Ukusuka kolu luvo, ukubethelelwa kukhuphiswano lwamaqela kudlala indima ephambili ekuqinisekiseni ukuba zeziphi iinkqubo zokuziphatha ezichumayo kwaye zeziphi ezitshabalalayo. Olu luvo aluthethi kuthi nantoni na ingenaxhala malunga nokuziphatha: akukho sizathu kwaphela kwibhayoloji sokuba olu khuphiswano kufuneka lube nogonyamelo (kwaye ke, uPinker uphikisa ngokuqinisekileyo kwincwadi yakhe yamva nje ukuba sele inganobundlobongela ngokuhamba kwexesha), kwaye ingenabundlobongela, kwaye inemveliso ukhuphiswano lunokukhokelela ekunyukeni kwamaza ezibonelelo kuluntu ngokubanzi. Into ethethwa lolu luvo kukuba isimilo kufanele ukuba sincinci malunga nokubonisa ingqumbo, nangakumbi malunga nokuyila inkqubo yexabiso eya kuthi ibangele impumelelo kwezentlalo kwilizwe elihlala litshintsha kwaye likhuphisana ngonaphakade.

(Inguqulelo yeli nqaku iya kuvela njengekholamu yombhali "woMthetho weNdalo" kwimagazini yebhanki Umgcini wehlabathi ).

Ilungelo lokushicilela uMichael E. Ixabiso 2012. Onke amalungelo agciniwe.