From: Ted Davis (TDavis@messiah.edu)
Date: Tue Nov 18 2003 - 15:06:03 EST
I agree with Denyse on this: social Darwinism in its various forms,
including sociobiology, is a major reason for the rejection of evolution.
It was for Bryan, is also for modern creationists. It is not necessarily
the largest reason, however, since biblical concerns and theological
concerns are also part of this.
It seems clear, however, that someone like Michael Ruse puts himself in the
position of taking Darwin *too* seriously, if I may put it that way.
Without a transcendent source of moral knowledge, we are left with nature as
a functional equivalent; but of course what we are really left with, is our
*view* of nature--and Darwin's view of nature was substantially informed by
the free market competition stressed by Adam Smith and Thomas Malthus.
Thus, the ultimate irony: the competition seen in human economic behavior
becomes the driving force in evolution, which in turn is read back into
human society to justify ubridled competition. We do indeed get what Bryan
called "the law of hate" triumphing over "the law of love."
ted
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