Evolutionary Theory and the Creation Controversy (eBook)

Olivier Rieppel (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2010 | 2011
X, 204 Seiten
Springer Berlin (Verlag)
978-3-642-14896-5 (ISBN)

Infos

Evolutionary theory addresses the phenomenon of the origin and diversity of plant and animal species that we observe. In recent times, however, it has become a predominant ideology which has gained currency far beyond its original confines. Attempts to understand the origin and historical development of human culture, civilization and language, of the powers of human cognition, and even the origin of the moral and ethical values guiding and constraining everyday life in human societies are now cast in an evolutionary context. In 'Evolutionary Theory and the Creation Controversy' the author examines evolutionary theory from a historical perspective, explaining underlying metaphysical backgrounds and fundamental philosophical questions such as the paradoxical problem of change, existence and creation. He introduces the scientists involved, their research results and theories, and discusses the evolution of evolutionary theory against the background of Creationism and Intelligent Design.

Olivier Rieppel is the Rowe Family Curator of Evolutionary Biology in the Department of Geology at the Field Museum in Chicago and an Adjunct Professor of Biological Sciences at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. He has published widely on the anatomy and evolution of living and fossil reptiles, as well as on the history and philosophy of biology.

Inhalt

Preface 6
Contents 10
Chapter 1: What Is the Story to be Told? 12
1.1 The Encyclopedia of Life: Noah´s Ark Digitized 12
1.2 Natural Theology and the Doctrine of Intelligent Design 15
1.3 The Impact of Modern Philosophy of Science 17
1.4 An Outline and Some Historical Context 18
Chapter 2: The Problem of Change 22
2.1 Change in a Created World 22
2.2 The Problem of Change 25
2.3 The Distinction of Essential and Accidental Properties 27
2.4 Embryos and the Problem of Change in Organisms 29
2.5 Charles Bonnet and His Understanding of Evolution 34
Chapter 3: Changing World Views 38
3.1 Robert Chambers (1802-1871) 39
3.2 Maupertuis´ Studies of Patterns of Inheritance 41
3.3 Trembley´s Experiments with the Freshwater Polyp 43
3.4 Georges Buffon´s Evolving World 47
3.5 Chamber´s ``Vestiges´´: An Evolutionary World View 51
3.6 The First Cause and Secondary Causes 58
3.7 A World of Pre-Established Harmony 63
Chapter 4: Stemming the Tide of Change 70
4.1 Hugh Miller (1802-1856) 70
4.2 Georges Cuvier and Louis Agassiz: Experts on Fossil Fishes 72
4.3 Miller´s Attack on Transformationism 76
4.4 Miller´s Concept of ``Proper Science´´ 81
4.5 Karl Ernst von Baer and the Importance of Embryology 85
4.6 Intelligent Design and the Four Aristotelian Causes 87
Chapter 5: A Matter of (Natural) Laws 92
5.1 The Metaphor of the Two Books 93
5.2 Ethics in Nature 95
5.3 Universal Laws of Nature 97
5.4 Lawful Development and the Doctrine of Pre-Existence 99
5.5 Universal Laws and Genuine Change 102
5.6 Description vs. Explanatory Laws 106
5.7 Darwin´s Law of the ``Higgledy-Higgledy´´ 112
5.8 Darwin´s Test of Evolutionary Theory 119
Chapter 6: The ``Law of Superposition´´ 122
6.1 The Superposition of Fossils 123
6.2 Systematics and the Classification of Organisms 126
6.3 Ideal vs. Natural Systems 128
6.4 Artificial vs. Natural Kinds 132
6.5 William Whewell´s ``Consilience of the Evidence´´ 138
Chapter 7: Respectable Science: What Is It? 145
7.1 The Definition of Science 146
7.2 Ludwig Wittgenstein and the ``Verification Principle´´ 148
7.3 The Illusion of ``Theory-Free Observation´´ 151
7.4 Karl Popper´s Demarcation of Science from Metaphysics 153
7.5 Thomas S. Kuhn and the Social Nature of Science 158
7.6 Paul Feyerabend and Epistemological Anarchism 164
7.7 The Pessimistic View of Science: Reviewed 167
7.8 Description and Explanation: Again 176
Chapter 8: Linking the Facts: Tracing the Traces 179
8.1 The Problem of the ``Uniformity of Nature´´ 180
8.2 Popper´s Failure to Solve the ``Problem of Induction´´ 183
8.3 Abductive Inference: The Mouse in the Wainscoting 186
8.4 Darwin: A Master of Abductive Inference 188
8.5 Darwin and the Importance of Embryology 194
8.6 Clinching the Argument for Evolution 197
Index 203

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 1.11.2010
• Zusatzinfo: X, 204 p.
• Verlagsort: Berlin
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte
• Themenwelt: Studium ► 1. Studienabschnitt (Vorklinik) ► Biochemie / Molekularbiologie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie
• Themenwelt: Technik
• Schlagworte: Creationism • Darwin • Evolution • Intelligent Design • Laws of Nature • philosophy of science
• ISBN-10: 3-642-14896-4 / 3642148964
• ISBN-13: 978-3-642-14896-5 / 9783642148965