It would be foolish for me to try to predict what the twenty first century’s theory of origins will be, but I can tell you one thing: it will be called evolution. Read more
5 Replies to “What Will be the 21st Century’s Theory of Origins?”
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Evolution is not a theory about the origins of life. Darwin’s book was titled On the Origin of Species.
We talk about the “evolution” of a computer program or a book, even while recognizing that there was design behind this evolution. So maybe we can hope that this is the way the term “evolution”, as applied to the origin of species, will eventually be understood.
Seversky, you keep drawing attention to the word ‘species’ and ignore the word ‘origin’ which is also in the title. If Darwin didn’t mean to discuss origins at all, then he shoul’ve titled it ‘the evolution of species’ or ‘the development of species by means of natural selection’.
Granville Sewell @ 2
Find evidence of a non-human designer, other than probability estinates and arguments from incredulity, and that might happen.
Bear in mind that even if you find such evidence it does not mean that evolution does not happen, that, perhaps, this designer made use of it as part of the design.
2
Granville Sewell
01/31/2010
11:45 am
We talk about the “evolution” of a computer program or a book, even while recognizing that there was design behind this evolution. So maybe we can hope that this is the way the term “evolution”, as applied to the origin of species, will eventually be understood.
Barb @ 3
Criticize Darwin’s choice of a title if you want. There is nothing wrong with that.
But when people talk about a “theory of origins” they are usually referring to the origins of life or the Universe itself. Darwin’s book was not about that and it is unfair to attack it for not doing something it was never intended to do in the first place.