Please Solve a Scientific-Historical Question About Hamlet...

Now this question has vexed me for probably close to twenty years now.

In Shakespeare's "Hamlet", Hamlet says (yes I know with irony): "What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals!"

We're the paragon of animals because of evolution, aren't we? An atheist professor we had in 2000 said the ancients were well aware of evolution. Or at least by Shakespeare's time. And people were aware of a lot of other things (did you know in ancient Greece they already knew about the atom?).

Now people are quick to point out that Shakespeare called us a piece of work because he thought we had a Creator. All right, all right already. But that wasn't my question. Also many Christians doubt that he knew about evolution. But what do they know?

Thank you in advance for your help .

 

Mzzls

 

The idea of a hierarchy of existence goes back to antiquity: Great Chain of Being | Definition, Origin, & Facts . It's an extreme understatement to say that I don't claim any expertise on this.

 

Leonardo was aware of a few things as well. What happens with us from time to time is de evolution in various forms for various reasons. Often when we emerge from this. We may only slightly ascend. A good question ought to be. When did we first acquire sentience? & once so can we lose it?

 

At which point the question arises, what exactly constitutes sentience? My own particular form of it grapples with the answer...

 

Thanks & i dont think we are alone in having it. But even so in some cases we could be the least sentient.