How Darwinism Corrodes Morality by Jerry Bergman

Reinke, professor of biology at Vanderbilt University: “The theory of evolution is altogether essential to the teaching of biology and its kindred sciences. For example the Scopes Trial decision quoted the following words penned by Dr.

The argument that evolution is central to biology has been around for a few years. How can you possibly teach biology unless you begin with evolution? How, indeed, can you call yourself an educated person, if you know nothing of the Darwinian reason for your own existence? (2002, p. You understand not only what is, but why. With evolution, a great light breaks through into the deepest recesses, into every corner, of the science of life. 539).ĭawkins opines that, without Darwinism, “biology is a collection of miscellaneous facts” and before children “learn to think in an evolutionary way” the information that students learn will just be facts, with no binding thread to hold them together, nothing to make them memorable or coherent. Evolution is the greatest single unifying principle in all biology (1959. It was not only a great biological treatise, closely reasoned and revolutionary, but it carried significant implications for philosophy, religion, sociology, and history.

Prosser concludes that this claim is made because The Origin of Species has had more influence on Western culture than any other book of modern times. In the words of the National Academy of Science, evolution is “the most important concept in modern biology, a concept essential to understanding key aspects of living things” (1998, p. Consequently, Darwinists argue, evolution must be a central part of all public school and college life science classes. A recent search revealed over 50,000 hits for this single quote. His statement that “nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution” has been repeated in thousands of articles in order to argue that Darwinism must have a central place in all areas of science education, including medicine, agriculture and biotechnology (for example, see Antolin and Herbers, 2001, p. He dean of American biology, Theodosius Dobzhansky (1900-1975), claimed that “evolution” is the cornerstone of biology and is central to understanding both living and extinct organisms (1973). From this survey I concluded that the claim “nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution” is not true. I also reviewed my course work and that of another researcher and came to the same conclusion. I concluded from my survey that Darwinism was rarely mentioned.

It is commonly claimed that Darwinism is the cornerstone of the life sciences and that “nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.” To evaluate this claim I reviewed both textbooks used to teach life science class at the college where I teach and those I used in my university course work.

How Darwinism Corrodes Morality by Jerry Bergman