Review: Origin of Species, 6th edition

PUBLISHER:

redshirt

Shaun Johnston:
In modern times we've made two revolutionary discoveries. One is, how changes in physical matter can be accounted for in terms of physical laws that can predict precisely what will happen next. Having given rise to science (how this can be studied) and industry (how it can be applied) this revolution is well under way.

The second revolution is, how emergence of species of living creatures can be accounted for in terms of them evolving from one another. This revolution, despite its promise of how much it could tell us about ourselves, remains stillborn through the mistaken application to it of principles coming out of the first revolution--reductive physicalism.

For this second revolution to advance it should be taken from under the wing of science and studied on its own terms. Tip: one recent product of evolution is creatures with minds. Minds are better studied through methods of the humanities than through those of science. Tell me, does this interest you?

Details: Written by Shaun Johnston Shaun Johnston; Published: September 13, 2014 September 13, 2014; Hits: 2484 2484

Origins impresses me as the labor of a supremely gifted naturalist unaware of his deficiencies as a scientist. His strategy to validate his claims is invariably to amass illustrations. "To treat this subject properly a long list of dry facts ought to be given." "This subject... can be treated properly only by giving long catalogues of facts." The great mass of examples he provides in support of his claims can tend to disguise the thinness of his arguments but it can't by itself validate them. Full review.