Francis Xavier Zhu S. J. 著 B. J. Shields S. J. 施惠淳译
AN OUTSTANDING PALAEONTOLOGIST WHO DISCOVERED PEKING MAN
I Introduction
I have already selected and translated seven or eight conversation pieces recording conversations with some famous, contemporary French scientists. Science made them realize that science is not almighty, that science and religion each has its own sphere. Not only do they not clash with each other; on the contrary, they can give each other mutual assistance. Science also makes them strengthen or gain faith.
Now once again to introduce someone famous all over the world, the great palaeontologist and palaeanthropologist who discovered "Peking Man", Father Teilhard de Chardin.
This year is the centenary of his birth. African scientific circles and UNESCO have suggested arranging a solemn commemoration of the French palaeanthropologist, Fr. Teilhard de Chardin. This summer meetings will be held over a period of three months at the Catholic University in Paris, France, the Institut Catholique de Paris; academic papers and commemorative essays will be delivered.
The quarterly Daziran, published by the Association of Chinese Natural Science Museums, the Chinese Society for Environmental Science and the Beijing Museum of Natural Science, in its first issue for 1981 published an article written by Zhen Shuonan and Huang Weiwen, "Recalling the French Palaeontologist Teilhard de Chardin's Time in China", in which they lauded to the skies the scientific contributions of their teacher and his human qualities.
Rev. Father Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S. J. was a Frenchman, born in 1881, who later entered the Society of Jesus and was ordained a priest in 1912. He came to our country twice; the first time in 1923 for just a year; the second time in 1926, this time staying for twenty years. In 1946 he returned to Paris; he died in the U. S. A. in 1955.
In 1941 I was returning from Northern China to Shanghai; while passing through Tianjin, I met him. His humility, his warmth and his kindness were very moving. He brought us to visit the Beijiang (Northern Frontier) Museum, explained to us the fossils of the "Ordos culture", and then explained to us about the tools used by Peking Man which were exhibited in the parlour of his residence. At the time we really did not dare to believe that the simple, unpretentious, humble, sincere person standing before us was the discoverer of Peking Man, famous throughout the contemporary world.
II First Visit to China (1923-24) (Investigating "Ordos culture", Discovering "Ordos Man")
Before him, another Jesuit, Father Emile Licent, had investigated and collected primitive vertebrate animals and early human fossils in Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Ningxia, Shaanxi and Gansu Provinces. He also founded the "Museum for the Palaeontology of the Huanghe and Baihe Basins". The Chinese name is the Northern Frontier Museum. It was part of the Ecole des Hautes Etudes set up in Tianjin by the Jesuits.
In 1920 Fr. Licent had discovered the first early stone tool to be found in an authenticated place and position in our country, in the yellow mud of the Xinjia River in Qingyang County, Northern Gansu Province (near Inner Mongolia). This was the dawn of discovery of human fossils. In order to expand the scope and results of the investigations, Fr. Teilhard was invited to come to China to help and assist.
"Teilhard at that time had already become a scientist of international reputation because of his work in identifying and reconstructing the famous Eocene animals of Northern France. Dedicated to clarifying the history of the dawn of the human race, he perseveringly abandoned the comfortable life of Paris and came to China which was then extremely poor and backwards" (Daziran, loc. cit.)
Fr. Teilhard arrived in Tianjin in May 1923 and met Fr. Licent. Disregarding whole oceans of difficulties the two Fathers set out at once, took the train to Baotou. From Baotou they began the labours of their long expedition.
Setting out from Baotou (now Inner Mongolia), they travelled west along the northern bank of the Yellow River. This stretch of the Yellow River suddenly turns north from Lanzhou.
Passing through Ningxia, it turns east for some distance, then suddenly south again, forming a U shapes. The upper reaches are called the Ordos region. Then at the eastern foot of Langshan, i.e. where the Yellow River changes direction, they went south still following the Yellow River and reached Yinchuan in Ningxia. From there they crossed the Yellow River towards the east, reaching Hengcheng on the opposite bank and then went east along the Great Wall. This is the former site of the "Ordos culture" and they found a large quantity of the remains of ancient stone tools. The two Fathers stayed for some time at Shuidong stream, within the borders of Lingwu, thirty Chinese miles to the south-east of Heng- cheng. Here is situated the centre of the Ordos culture.
Then they travelled east along the Great Wall, surveying and excavating as they went, and reached Jingbian County in Shaanxi Province, staying at the church of the Belgian Fathers beside Xiaoqiao (they are the Fathers of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, CICM).
In that area they found a rich collection of fossils of mammals. "This makes clear that the Ordos people of that time could already hunt in groups. As to stone tools, they discovered tools which were sharp-pointed, flaked and chipped, and provided precious material for studying the early production methods of the children of the Yellow River." (ibid.)
In this region they did not find many human fossils. But they did however make one startling discovery: In the fossil of an antelope which had been excavated by Fr. Licent the previous year, they identified the Incisor tooth of a late "Homo Sapiens''. "At the time it had not been recognized but only because of Teilhard's serious attitude to work and high powers of identification－'the perceptive mind knows the hero'－could this priceless treasure come to the light of day and shed a strange light. This tooth identified by Teilhard and called "Ordos Man" is the first human fossil to be found in China…It gave a very great impetus to the excavation of the site of 'Peking Man' which was later to become famous." (ibid.)
Having been only one year in China, he had discovered "Ordos Man".
In 1924 he returned to France; he was already a world-renowned scientist, the president of the French Geological Society and only forty-two years of age!
III On Second Visit to China He Stayed Twenty Years (1926-46), Discovered Peking Man"
From 1926 to 1946 Teilhard spent twenty years in China. Living in the China of the old days the conditions were very difficult; doing scientific work in the wilds was extremely trying…With extreme dedication and side-by-side with Chinese scientists who were then young and in order to awaken from their slumber the palaeo-vertebrates sleeping in the soil of China, so that they would voice the truth about the evolution of life and the history of the Earth, he zealously probed the mysteries of natures" (ibid.)
During these twenty years, the feet of Fr. Teilhard traversed both sides of the Great River, inside and outside the Great Wall. He not only went to the North-West plateau but also to the North-East, such an important place for fossils. But his greatest and most important merit was to excavate Peking Man together with Yang Zhongjian and Pei Wenzhong. He also made appeals abroad so as to collect funds for the large-scale excavations at Zhoukoudian.
"Peking Man" was discovered in the district of Zhoukoudian to the south of Beijing, in all seventeen or eighteen male and female skeletons, a large number of stone tools and traces of the use of "fire", together with signs of religion. "Peking Man" was the earliest ancestor of the Chinese, separated from today by about 600,000 to 1,000,000 years. According to what Fr. Teilhard emphasized to me in Tianjin, Peking Man already had traces of religious belief.
The scholarly writings of Fr. Teilhard are today still indispensable reference books for the study of vertebrate palaeontology and palaeoanthropology. "These scholarly articles provide extremely reliable material for understanding the mammals of the Mid-Pleistocene Age and the living conditions of 'Peking Man's" (ibid.)
Fr. Teilhard for a lengthy period undertook the work of consultant in Beijing to the Cenozoic laboratory of the Chinese Geological Survey Institute. During that time, in collaboration with Yang Zhongjian and Pei Wenzhong, he wrote quite a few articles on the geology of the Cenozoic Era in Northern China and the Zhoukoudian site.
"In 1942 he wrote in collaboration with others the volume Chinese Fossil Mammals. Up to now this work is an indispensable handbook for anyone studying the mammals of our country. Nowadays whenever one consults the writings of Teilhard, he would be deeply conscious that he was an early ‘trail-blazer’ in China for the investigation of vertebrates." (ibid.)
IV A Good Teacher and Helpful Friend, Whose Memory is to be Cherished
Fr. Teilhard was humble, sincere, kindly, enthusiastic. Now let us listen to the personal statements of his colleagues and students.
"But among all the foreign scientists, Teilhard de Chardin was the one who had the most harmonious relations with the Chinese scientists. He never gave himself the airs of a 'foreign grandee', but always as a friend of the Chinese citizens got on well with Yang Zhongjian and Pei Wenzhong who were then still very young. According to what Prof. Yang Zhongjian told the writer of this article before his death, Teilhard in scholarly matters always treated him and Pei Wenzhong on equal terms. Although at the time Teilhard was a scientist with an international name, he still gave me the impression of being unassuming and easy to approach."
"Regarding Teilhard's Intimate and unreserved friendship with Chinese scientists, there is a detailed account in Yang Zhongjian's The North-East in Cross-section (1931)…On four expeditions he always travelled with Teilhard; as a man he was sincere and kindly, penetrating in his observation of nature, careful in his scholarly research, as well as his great and rich erudition, so that one could not only get much help in knowledge but also be deeply changed for the better morally. To travel with him was really a pleasure and would make one forget the hardships of the dusty roads."
"In this book Yang Zhongjian again several times refers to how he and Teilhard shared sorrows and joys while travelling in different provinces of the North-West and different place in the North-East and gives moving examples of brotherly affection. When they were making geological observations within the borders of Shanxi Province on 2nd September 1929, Yang Zhongjian got the 'flu and had a high fever; because of eating something dirty, he got an acute infection. But Teilhard was not afraid of being infected and stayed by his side night and day to nurse him..."
"Yang Zhongjian was returning to Beijing ahead of time by making a detour through the Soviet Union and before departing went to take leave of Teilhard. He wrote: On the morning of the 10th I went again to Teilhard, since I was about to leave, but neither of us wanted to part from the other…to separate and go made one unhappy… Through the friendship of Yang Zhongjian and Teilhard one could also see the lofty character of Teilhard, this wanderer in a strange land, his will set on the scientific exploration of nature."
"In midsummer 1980 the famous archeologist Prof. Jia Lanpo led a team of researchers in geology and palaeobotany; despite the steamy summer heat and travel-stained, they arrived at Shuidong stream, within the borders of Lingwu in Ningxia Province (thirty Chinese miles to the south of Hengcheng). Mr. Jia stopped in front of a broken-down house, thinking of an unforgettable visitor from the history of science. In that 'cottage of Zhang San' there had lived the world-famous scholar of the science of vertebrates, the friend of the Chinese people, Teilhard de Chardin. The visitors with a spirit of reverence cherished the memory of that French scholar who had probed into nature in China for a long period and made important contributions." (ibid.)
That Fr. Teilhard should thus receive the respect, veneration and affection of his colleagues and students was because of his spirit of strong perseverance and disregard of suffering and his noble character of humility, deference, humanity and sincerity. This proves that his accomplishments were developing continuously. And the source, motive and protection of all this was because he had a religious faith, he was a priest, he was a Jesuit. He drew all his strength from his religious faith, from Christ.
V Spirit of Scientific Research
To do research in science, his fearlessly great spirit of not being afraid of suffering and being patient with all kinds of annoyances astonished his companions. "With dedication to clarify the history of the dawn of the human race, he perseveringly abandoned the comfortable life of Paris and came to China which was then extremely poor and backward." "Living in the China of the old days, the conditions were very difficult; doing scientific research in the wilds was extremely trying. If Teilhard had not possessed a burning dedication and a spirit of sacrificing himself for science, he could have sat down quietly in a church and announced 'the Word of God' according to the book. But he did not choose that way of life. But with extreme devotion and side-by-side with Chinese scientists who were then young…"
One of Fr. Teilhard's special merits was to cultivate, guide and assist the younger generation of rising scientists, "to help our country to cultivate a generation of scholars in vertebrate palaeontology and palaeo-anthropology. Especially during World War II, all scientific research work in northern China had ceased, but Teilhard stayed on in Beijing, occupied by the Japanese army of invasion, and perseveringly carried on with his research work under extremely difficult conditions."
Fr. Teilhard helped young scientists, gave them guidance and encouragement. "Yang Zhongjian discovered in the Dongshan mountains in Shaanxi not far from the Shenmu county capital the footprint of an animal and for the moment could not make out which animal had made it. Teilhard at once determined that it was the footprint of an iguanodon and picked up this specimen. This was the first discovery in China of a dinosaur's footprint. When they returned, they wrote a research report on it…Yang Zhongjian then really experienced that one could learn many things when with Teilhard and enjoy together the enormous pleasure of making scientific discoveries."
Beside, while helping the young generation of scientists to write scientific reports, he and Yang Zhongjian and Pel Wenzhong wrote many reports on "Peking Man" and "the Zhoukoudian caves".
"When Teilhard and young Chinese scientists were jointly writing articles, it was serious work, no detail was unimportant; he became their good teacher and helpful friend. After Teilhard had carefully corrected the draft of the article, a part of it was kept in the Institute for Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeo-anthropology of the Academia Sinica."
VI Science, Truth Have No "National Boundaries"
The study and Interchange of science and truth have no national boundaries or class limits. When Fr. Teilhard came to China to do scientific research, his colleagues and students welcomed him warmly, looked up to him with gratitude and love and respected him.
"There was a basic difference between him and the imperialistic elements that invaded China. Chinese people can distinguish friends and wolves, and cannot forget this French friend who was a wanderer in a strange land, his will set on recording a scientific 'Book of Genesis', and made a contribution to the study of the vertebrate palaeontology and palaeo-anthropology of China…"
"In 1930 Yang Zhongjian and Teilhard took part as representatives of their respective countries in a Chinese-French team for scientific observation. When the Chinese and French were exploring in the North-West, differences arose several times. The basic reason for this was that on the French side there was a group with strong imperialistic ideas; they did not respect Chinese sovereignty and despised Chinese people. At that time Teilhard still got on very well with the Chinese and respected the opinions of the Chinese. Yang Zhongjian wrote that Teilhard and he had worked together for three years and that he was a kindly and lovable man, he himself being intoxicated by science."
"Yang Zhongjian was a man of extreme racial pride who possessed a very strong sense of patriotism; he had never cringed or lowered himself before foreigners, but as to those foreign scientists who sincerely treated Chinese people as friends, he respected them greatly."
That a foreigner who was also an authority in science could respect Chinese people and had absolutely no attitude of putting on airs and insulting others was certainly something unusual. To be able not to have any trace of imperialism was also something precious and hard to find.
His colleagues and students drew a very accurate conclusion.
"Today when we are just making advances towards modern science, we should make a just evaluation of Teilhard and also of the original facts of history. To treat an enemy as a friend is of course dangerous; to falsely accuse a friend of being an enemy is obviously damaging. Towards those who hoist the banner of science but specialize in carrying on robbing activities in China and form a gang of imperialistic invaders, we should scorn them to their faces. As to Teilhard, a good teacher and helpful friend of this sort, we should always think with affection of his kindness and merits."
"We should adopt the attitude of historical materialism, seek truth from facts in treating foreign scientists who have worked in China, and in this way it will benefit the future development of cooperation and friendship between Chinese and foreign scientists." (ibid.)
The evaluation of Fr. Teilhard by these palaeon-tologists and palaeo-anthropologists and their attitude towards Chinese and foreign scientific cooperation is extremely accurate, unlike some ignorant and incompetent people or scientists who are dabblers, and who have a narrow racialism or nationalism and indiscriminately oppose all international cooperation. Science and truth have no national boundaries, they are classless. Ethics and morality, religion and faith have also no national boundaries and are classless. Science and truth, ethics and religion absolutely require intercommunication and assistance between different countries. Fr. Teilhard's coming to China and helping to excavate "Ordos Man" and "Peking Man" is the best example of this.
The Catholic religion is for the whole human race. It is for every region, for every race, It assimilates the traditional culture of every region and every race, purifies it and sanctifies it. The culture and thought of every region and race is of use to the whole Church, can make it more rich and varied and can enable the Church to proclaim to every race and every region a Christian spirit and work of redemption more appropriate to that region and that race.
VII Another Galileo?
The scientists of the twentieth century see more clearly that there is no contradiction between science and religion, each has its own domain, one cannot replace the other, but they can coexist and co-prosper together, they can even complement each other. Fr. Teilhard was an outstanding scientist in palaeontology and palaeo-anthropology. He investigated fossils－the direct proof of biological evolution－, and at the same time he had a profound belief that God created the world, he was a believer in God. He was also a member of the Jesuit religious order (the Jesuit order in the Catholic Church has always been maligned by the enemies of religion as being the most reactionary, the most conservative). In the person of Fr. Teilhard, science and religion were in intimate harmony.
1) New Things are Formed Gradually
New things do not fall from heaven in one piece, ready-made. They grow and develop gradually, are gradually accepted. Old things are also gradually eliminated and destroyed. "At the sound of exploding crackers the old is eliminated; with peach-wood charms all nature is made new"－the changeover from old to new can certainly not be solved like that, overnight. The revolutionary movement must face extreme opposition, must pass through dramatic struggle.
The new things, people will not understand at once, and the new things themselves must also go through a lengthy and thorough scrutiny and testing before they can be proved true. A newly produced medicine, must it not be tested for a time? Evolution cannot be an exception. To use evolution to explain the Bible cannot be an exception either; if it meets with opposition, that is not something surprising.
2) To Move Forward with Firm Step
As regards the question of religious faith and the whole question of the Church, hasty action is certainly not possible, nor is it possible to go back on one's word or make unpredictable changes. Therefore, the Church is always prudent and earnest, it goes through lengthy study, consultation and consideration before it can make the final decision.
To beatify or canonize someone requires a lengthy period of investigation and thorough discussion.
The miracles worked at Lourdes have to be thoroughly observed, diagnosed, the illness must not recur for at least two years after being cured, solemn procedures must have been carried out before it is officially proclaimed as a miracle.
Our Lady's appearances at Lourdes and at Fatima had to go through lengthy investigation and study before they were recognized by the Church. The miraculous events at Zose, the Church also must submit to lengthy investigation and study.
Fr. Teilhard's explanations took a period of time before they received a just and due evaluation on the part of the Church. (Fr. Teilhard's courageous spirit of scientific investigation was highly praised by the present Pope in June 1981.)
3) Evolution and Religion
When Darwin founded evolution, from first to last he retained his religious faith and was a believer in God. Natural selection, the survival of the fittest in no way contradicted the position of religion.
However, the article published in the periodical Daziran by Zhen Shuonan and Huang Weiwen has as sub-title, "The French Palaeontologist Teilhard de Chardin in China" but the main title is "The Exiled Priest".
It is written in the article: "He superstitiously believed in the error that 'God made man', but also accepted the truth of evolution. The idealist world-view of the Catholic and the materialist attitude towards research of the scientist led to the clash of extreme contradictions in the person of Teilhard de Chardin. But after all he is a specialist in the study of natural history, his object of study－fossils－is the direct proof of the evolution of living things.
Therefore, at the same time as he was propagating Catholic doctrine to the members of the Church he was also propagating some aspects of evolution. This was considered by the Church to be 'rebellion and sedition' and his right to work as a priest in France was withdrawn. In 1925 Teilhard was exiled and came back again to China…
Because he had a tendency towards "evolution", Fr. Teilhard had his right to work as a priest in France withdrawn and he was exiled in 1926.
Is Fr. Teilhard another Galileo?
As to this matter, how is it to be understood and dealt with correctly?
The Church (the Bible) propagates to men God's holy Word, the work of redemption, and does not directly discuss science. What the Church emphasizes is: All things have a first origin, all things have a creator, man is composed of soul and body. So long as science does not deny these points, as regards the description and explanation of the earliest period of the universe and the human race, the Church gives complete freedom and certainly does not interfere. Religion and science each has its own domain!
4) Fr. Teilhard was a Good Priest and a Good Religious
Other people have availed of this opportunity to attack the Church for exiling Fr. Teilhard and say that he is the Galileo of the twentieth century who suffered and was banned for science. In his person it could again be seen that the Church is behind the times, opposes science and obstructs progress.
But what about Fr. Teilhard himself? He knew that the new ideas would not be accepted at once, but would have to go through a period of misunderstanding, prejudice and lack of trust. He happily left France in 1926 and came to northern China. If this unpleasant thing had not happened and he had not come to China, there would also have been no discovery of "Peking Man", it would have been a very great loss for the science of anthropology. "When the old frontiersman lost his horse, who could have known that it was a blessing in disguise?" From an unfortunate affair to get such a startling benefit! The plans and arrangements of the Lord, how great and marvellous they are, making man gasp with astonishment and utter praise! Fr. Teilhard de Chardin could humbly follow God's will, blaming neither God nor man, "He has regarded his low estate…He who is mighty has done great things for me…henceforth all generations will "nil me blessed."
* Translator's Note:
Fr. F.X. Zhu Shude earned a Ph.D. in Geography from the Sorbonne, Paris, in 1949. Arrested in his native Shanghai in 1953, he spent almost 30 years in prisons and labour camps until his death on 29 Dec., 1983. He had been released briefly in 1980-81. This article appear「哲學與文化」(Universitas), No. 102 (Nov. 1982), pp. 759-765, and is translated here by the editor's kind permission. Mr. M. S. Cheung of Wah Yan College, Hong Kong, has kindly helped to interpret certain expressions.