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Evolution as a Religion: Mary Midgley's Hopes and Fears

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2020

Anthony O'Hear
Anthony O'Hear*
Affiliation:
University of Buckingham
*
anthony.ohear@buckingham.ac.uk
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Abstract

This paper considers Mary Midgley's views on evolution, especially as developed in her book Evolution as a Religion. In this she continues the critical campaign she waged against Dawkins’ notion of the selfish gene, but broadens her attack out to encompass many other thinkers (whom she calls the ‘Omega’ men), who are predicting dramatic and revolutionary futures for humanity, based supposedly on what evolutionary science tells us. Midgley argues that no such conclusions are scientifically warranted – hence evolution as a religion. Her own attempts to absolve Darwin himself from this sort of scientism, and to remove from him any taint of social Darwinism are criticised, particularly by reference to The Descent of Man. Something is then said about Midgley's own alternative view of nature and humanity, a more holistic view, which itself has religious overtones.

Type
Papers
Information
Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplements , Volume 87: A Centenary Celebration: Anscombe, Foot, Midgley, Murdoch , July 2020 , pp. 263 - 277
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Institute of Philosophy and the contributors 2020

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References

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