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DarwinLeaks: New blog aims to leak Darwin stories, no jail time anticipated

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With a hat tip, one supposes, to Wiki Leaker Julian Assange, a friend alerts me to DarwinLeaks hoping it will “do the same to Darwin and disciples from a history of science point of view.” The blog is in Portuguese, but can be translated at the site. It certainly looked interesting; when I checked in, the question was why the correspondence between Darwin and Mivart, the well-known anatomist with whom Darwin fell out, has never been released to the Internet. There is some thought that it may falsify some current explanations for the breach between the two men.

Well, there is only one way to find out about that …

That said, Darwinism thrives on its cultural power. It wouldn’t matter who said what or how it relates to reality. Most of the interesting revelations are pretty widely available, actually, but the cost of the cognitive dissonance of “Darwin was wrong about the key things” is much too high for many people. They suspect they look better in a monkey suit than they would in their own, and I am reluctant to offer an opinion.

Comments
F/N: Google translate page in English for the underlying Darwinleaks post.kairosfocus
December 28, 2010
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F.N: I see one of the rebuttal attempts is the claim that the Darwin letters are being released online in chronological order, 4 years post print publication. The relevant letter discussed above is 1875. I would love to hear the explanation of the following October 13, 1880 letter to Karl Marx's son-in-law, from the same site: ______________________ >> Letter 12757 — Darwin, C. R. to Aveling, E. B., 13 Oct 1880 Summary Publication of EA’s remarks on CD’s writings requires no consent on CD’s part. CD would prefer that no part or volume be dedicated to him as it would imply his general approval of the publication, of which he knows nothing. Though he is a strong advocate of free-thought CD feels that direct attacks on Christianity and theism produce hardly any effect. Freedom of thought is best promoted by gradual illumination of men’s minds produced by advance of science. Has therefore avoided writing on religion though “I may have been unduly biassed by the pain which it would give members of my family, if I aided in any way direct attacks on religion”. Transcription Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | (Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.) Oct. 13th 1880 Private Dear Sir I am much obliged for your kind letter & the enclosure.— The publication in any form of your remarks on my writings really requires no consent on my part, & it would be ridiculous in me to give consent to what requires none.— I shd. prefer the Part or Volume not to be dedicated to me (though I thank you for the intended honour) as this implies to a certain extent my approval of the general publication, about which I know nothing.— Moreover though I am a strong advocate for free thought on all subjects [NB: Free thought, so called, is an old term for skepticism, rationalISM, atheism and agnosticism] yet it appears to me (whether rightly or wrongly) that direct arguments against christianity & theism produce hardly any effect on the public; & freedom of thought is best promoted by the gradual illumination of men’s minds, which follows from the advance of science. It has, therefore, been always my object to avoid writing on religion, & I have confined myself to science. I may, however, have been unduly biassed by the pain which it would give some members of my family, if I aided in any way direct attacks on religion.— I am sorry to refuse you any request, but I am old & have very little strength, & looking over proof-sheets (as I know by present experience) fatigues me much.— I remain Dear Sir | Yours faithfully | Ch. Darwin>> ______________________ I think this already published "leak" -- from five years after 1875 -- is utterly revealing on a significant component of Darwin's motives, rhetorical strategy and worldview agenda as they helped shape his scientific work. Of course, also, historical investigations can and do take in any and all traces of the past, including unpublished or uncatalogued but authentic materials. Could someone with reasonable right of access make a little trip to the relevant library, and get us a transcript of the relevant letter[s] with permission to publish online? If necessary, instead, as the institutions in question would most likely classify as public in the relevant sense, it should be explored whether a request can be made under UK FOIA law, which I gather can be appealed to by anyone in the world; and certainly by a British citizen. (Mr Darwin passed away well past 75 years ago, so unless some weird point of law obtains, copyright should not be an issue.) GEM of TKIkairosfocus
December 28, 2010
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Denyse, thanks a lot for promoting my new blog on Darwin. My blog and your post on UD has already raised hell among the Darwinian fundamentalists. See here: 1. http://whewellsghost.wordpress.com/2010/12/27/the-missing-darwin-mivart-letters/ 2. http://www.antievolution.org/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi?s=4d1971c35a792380;act=ST;f=14;t=6300;st=9750 It seems that I have hit the right Darwinian nerve/spot, and this serves only to encourage me to do a scholarly work over there.Enezio E. De Almeida Filho
December 28, 2010
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What a great idea! Best of luck to Enézio E. de Almeida Filho as he works to uncover more of the history of evolutionary thought and its critics.Pedant
December 27, 2010
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Anyone else see "Flight of the Navigator"? Do you remember what happend when "they" stored information in the human brain? It leaked. But anyway perhaps we could all chip in and get a box or two of "Depends" for this Darwin leaks. :)Joseph
December 27, 2010
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