Myths and fallacies about the theory of evolution
Charles Darwin at age 51 (Wikipedia)Here are some Important new articles about the Theory of Evolution and Darwin, in the “New Scientist”:
- Evolution: 24 myths and misconceptions - 16 April 2008
- Evolution myths: ‘Survival of the fittest’ justifies ‘everyone for themselves’ : a misconception! - 16 April 2008
The second article is also politically important. Here is an extract:
What we see in the wild is not every animal for itself. Cooperation is an incredibly successful survival strategy. Indeed it has been the basis of all the most dramatic steps in the history of life. Complex cells evolved from cooperating simple cells. Multicellular organisms are made up of cooperating complex cells. Superorganisms such as bee or ant colonies consist of cooperating individuals.
Suicidal cells:
When cooperation breaks down, the results can be disastrous. When cells in our bodies turn rogue, for instance, the result is cancer. So elaborate mechanisms have evolved to maintain cooperation and suppress selfishness, such as cellular “surveillance” programmes that trigger cell suicide if they start to turn cancerous.
Looked at from this point of view, the concept of the survival of the fittest could be used to justify socialism rather than laissez-faire capitalism. Then again, the success of social insects could be used to argue for totalitarianism. Which illustrates another point: it is nonsense to appeal to the “survival of the fittest” to justify any economic or political ideology, especially on the basis that it is “natural”.
- UPDATE: Moreover, not everyone knows that the expression “survival of the fittest” was not Darwin’s creation, but Herbert Spencer’s:
