Aspects of Evolution (Evolution)

by dhw, Saturday, February 28, 2009, 12:41 (5745 days ago)

David has drawn our attention (Evolution, 27 February at 19.48) to an article from Christian Today that attacks Darwin for his racism. I notice that the article makes no mention of Darwin's passionate opposition to slavery (see Darwin's Sacred Cause by Adrian Desmond and James A. Moore), which sits oddly with racism, but in any case the attack is totally irrelevant to the theory of evolution. So too are the actions that, for instance, the Nazis may have based on the theory. One might just as well argue that the Crusades and the Inquisition were the fault of Jesus Christ. - May I suggest that we concentrate on the theory itself ... as David has done with a succession of relevant website references ... but pursue a slightly more differentiated approach. It seems to me that one can no longer talk of evolution as a single theory, since there are so many aspects that require separate analysis (and Darwin himself divided the theory up into its component parts). Bearing in mind John Clinch's apt reminder that "science deals with likelihoods and probabilities and is constantly being revised" (one of the rare points on which John and I agree!) maybe we could pinpoint those areas now considered to be factual, hypothetical, or doubtful. You may well ask: "considered by whom?" but that will also be part of the differentiation. - 1) Life evolved from "a few forms" or one (Darwin).
2) Humans evolved long after many other species.
3) Random mutations create primitive*** new organs. 
4) Natural selection leads over time to simple organs becoming complex.
5) Natural selection leads over time to new species.
6) The fossil record so far confirms/does not confirm the theory. 
7) Whatever I've left out (e.g. I would appreciate guidance on the current status of Lamarckism). - *** ("If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down" (Darwin).)