When the battle for the idea was lost a generation ago. Our physics color commentator Rob Sheldon reflects on evolutionary biologist Colin Wright’s hand-wringing at Quillette over what social justice warriors are doing to his field and points out a sad but instructive fact about Wright’s lament:
He thinks that the slogan “gender is a social construct” denies Darwin. Here are the conclusions:
Back when evolution was under attack from proponents of Biblical Creation and Intelligent Design, academic scientists were under no pressure to hold back criticism. This is because these anti-evolution movements were almost exclusively a product of right-wing evangelicals who held no power in academia. Now we have a much bigger problem, because evolution denialism is back, but this time it’s coming from left-wing activists who do hold power in academia. This makes the issue both harder to ignore and harder to remove. Social justice and hyper-militant trans activism now seems to act as a kind of anti-universal acid, and not merely a strong buffer solution. While the universal acid of evolution eats through old cherished beliefs and replaces them with deeper understanding and a clearer picture of reality, the anti-universal acid of social justice ideology is a recklessly destructive force, aiming to abolish scientific truth and replace it with relativistic postmodern nonsense…
But it seems clear to me that academia now is not as it was advertised a decade ago when I started down this path. It is no longer a refuge for outspoken, free-thinking intellectuals. Instead, it seems one must now choose between living a zipper-lipped life as an academic scientist, or living a life as a fulfilled intellectual. Currently, one cannot do both.
So evidently, shutting down Christians was “outspoken, free-thinking” but shutting down evolutionary biologists is “a zipper-lipped life.” It seems that Darwinism is a good “universal acid,” but the post-modern products of Darwinism are “a kind of anti-universal acid” (whatever that might be, he doesn’t seem to know his pH scale). Despite the pain they feel, Darwinists don’t seem to realize it is their own hands that have torn down the edifice of knowledge. They still think that discrimination is valid when they are in charge, that courtesy is only for friends, that objectivity is their personal possession.Rob Sheldon, “Academic Freedom — Sweeping Up the Shards” at Evolution News and Science Today:
Yes, they did think that. The Darwinians thought they could shield Darwin from all criticism while using him to promote naturalism (nature is all there is), often called “materialism.” And destroying the careers of people who knew reasons and evidence against it. And now the social justice warriors—the enraged Woke—are claiming the same privileges. Immunity for themselves from any scrutiny as to their motives or their truth claims.
Some of us would call attention to the fact that, so far, the Darwinian evolutionary biologists still do not grasp what they are up against. The ID folk think truth matters. That makes them easy prey. Social justice warriors know that, for them, only power matters. They are a better match for the Darwinians they are attacking and we will see what happens next.
See also: Talk about a perfect storm: Social science needs evolutionary theory
The perfect storm: Darwinists meet the progressive “evolution deniers” — and cringe… Double down cringe…
The Darwinians’ cowardice before SJW mobs explained in detail: They thought the mob was coming for someone else.
Rob Sheldon: Have a little pity for scientists scared of SJWs I thought the Areo article was the most honest I have met in a long while. It is one thing to boast about courage in the faculty lounge, it is quite another in the provost’s office. I have been cursed with both experiences.
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