主要食具的演化及影響因素探討

The Study of Evolution and the Impact in Main Utensil

王明堂(Ming-Tang Wang)

《國立臺中技術學院學報》 9卷2期 (2008/07) Pp. 77-90

https://doi.org/10.29427/JNTIT.200807_12.0005

摘要

對於生活中食具的歷史及演變的用途，由文獻探討的歷史研究法，及從生態角度以生物演化的觀察法。利用Darwin的天擇演化理論；以變異、過度繁殖、生存競爭、適者生存為依據的主，及相關演化理論做為研究方法，來觀察人類主要食具的演化情形。瞭解「筷子」是從自然的樹枝演化而來，為了適應環境及生存競爭發展成為了攜帶方便、而可拆解收藏的形式。「餐刀」是在石器時代，發現自然中剝裂的石片可切削物品，變異分歧成現在依用途可用於屠宰或分解食物的工具。而「餐叉」是起源於自然分叉的樹枝，過度繁殖而變異成現在的食具的餐叉及工作用的叉具等。而食具的各類演化是來自於自然及人為因素的天擇及人擇影響，均是取材於自然，因為生活區域的差異，不同的氣候影響了經濟作物的成長，而產生主食的差異。因此，需要不同功能的食具來取食，而演化成「筷子」、「餐刀、叉」兩類。為適應環境因素的改變及滿足生活的需求，促使食具的更新及加入設計的概念，而使產品更適應人類的進步。大自然所賜予的創造物，由於人類追求更好及腦力的發展，而演化設計出更適合取食的用具。食具的演化可說是人類心智活動的成長，及行為模式演進之一個例證。這樣的觀察發現以「適者生存、不適淘汰」的天擇及人擇理論為演化的主要精神，加上進步、Plato的完美形式主義多種演化的概念。在重視文化創意產業的時代，生活中如何設計出兩者共存的取食的方法，而不只是以改變形狀為設計的發展方向，可從諸多的文化故事中發展設計，使食具的演化過程及之間許多文化故事，做為食具設計的基礎資料，將文化加入設計的內涵中。

關鍵字

食具 ； 演化 ； Darwin ； 文獻探討 ； 觀察法

並列摘要

In this research, we tried to investigate from history and literature review. We discover 'chopsticks' that they evolve from natural branch of tree, then expand for carry convenient into the disassemble type. 'Meal knife' is original was hit from stone, block split to shell can be used for cutting articles in the Stone Age, evolve it to the present cutter, can be used for butchering or the decomposing tool for food, or use for fetching food. 'Meal fork' is also from natural branch of tree, then evolve to present utensil and working fork. We can suspect it may cause from the difference of the life area, and different factors of climate have influenced the growth of the economical crops, has brought out the difference of the staple foodstuffs. Because there is difference of different staple food, need the utensil of different functions to fetch food, so evolve into 'chopsticks', and 'meal knife, meal fork'. And the environmental factors of utensils evolution, find it from natural materials, then in order to meet the change of the environmental factor and meet life's demands. The creation is the nature vouchsafes, because the mankind pursues the better and the mental progress, therefore design the fitter apparatus to fetch food. We can say that the evolution of the utensil can be regarded as the growth of the human intelligence and gradual progress of the behavior, making progressive motive and demand cognition in using the apparatus. In this observation, we find the evolution of the products is the progress and abolishes the spirit that retreat by entering, it is the evidence of natural selection in the theory of 'the survival of the fittest'.