Tracking How Evolution Theory Came to Be

04 Oct, 2005

The bit where Larson discusses Scopes and how both sides approached the argument I found of particular interest.

Related: The Real Crisis in Evolution Teaching by Scott D. Sampson

"[C]onsiderably less than half of the United States population believes that the theory of evolution is supported by the evidence, and 42% of respondents in recent poll [sic] agreed that 'living things have existed in their present form since the beginning of time.'"

And...while we're on topic:

For most people, the material universe, biological life, and human consciousness are the kinds of curious, complex, well-ordered phenomena that require explanation, and an intelligent designer seems to provide just that.

But there are at least two problems with this explanation. First, explanations that rely on the inexplicable are not explanations at all. They have the form of explanations, but they do not have the content. Yet, psychology experiments reveal that people are often satisfied by empty form.