[Jeeves' brow creeps up again by degrees, but his tone is one of dry humor.]
If you will permit me to paraphrase Spinoza, sir, presumably because it is an organ specifically conditioned to exist and operate in a particular manner by the Creator within those organisms for whom it is a necessity. [He allows himself to indulge in the hypothetical for a moment, though.] If such a thing were to exist, though, I would think it would be far different in appearance than what we might consider a heart. The ecosystem functions of a planet are much more varied and complex than within a singular organism. We might liken the winds to lungs and ocean currents to a circulatory system.
It is a most fascinating philosophical proposition, if nothing else. A man's relation to the Earth is built upon certain principles governed by his king and his God. Were he to understand the planet as a being in its own right it may paint matters in an altogether different hue.
[visual]
If you will permit me to paraphrase Spinoza, sir, presumably because it is an organ specifically conditioned to exist and operate in a particular manner by the Creator within those organisms for whom it is a necessity. [He allows himself to indulge in the hypothetical for a moment, though.] If such a thing were to exist, though, I would think it would be far different in appearance than what we might consider a heart. The ecosystem functions of a planet are much more varied and complex than within a singular organism. We might liken the winds to lungs and ocean currents to a circulatory system.
It is a most fascinating philosophical proposition, if nothing else. A man's relation to the Earth is built upon certain principles governed by his king and his God. Were he to understand the planet as a being in its own right it may paint matters in an altogether different hue.