Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- General editor's preface
- Preface
- Introduction
- 1 The development of Darwinian theory
- 2 Moral and metaphysical assumptions
- 3 Trying to live in nature
- 4 The biology of sin
- 5 Human identities
- 6 The goals of goodness
- 7 The end of humanity
- 8 The covenant with all living creatures
- 9 Conclusion: cosmos and beyond
- Index
2 - Moral and metaphysical assumptions
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 December 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- General editor's preface
- Preface
- Introduction
- 1 The development of Darwinian theory
- 2 Moral and metaphysical assumptions
- 3 Trying to live in nature
- 4 The biology of sin
- 5 Human identities
- 6 The goals of goodness
- 7 The end of humanity
- 8 The covenant with all living creatures
- 9 Conclusion: cosmos and beyond
- Index
Summary
IDEOLOGY AND TRUTH
It is hardly surprising that Darwinian ideology and Darwinian theory aroused debate. Any orthodox believer must accept that there can in the end be no opposition between truth and truth. If this is how we have evolved, so be it. But our emotions were soon engaged, on either side. Whewell's comments on another theory (that the heavens swarm with life) are apt:
This is a stupendous view of the greatness of the creation; and, to many persons, its very majesty, derived from magnitude and number, will make it so striking and acceptable, that, once apprehended, they will feel as if there were a kind of irreverence in disturbing it. But if this view be really not tenable when more closely examined, it is, after all, not wise to connect our feelings of religious reverence with it, so that they shall suffer a shock when we are obliged to reject it. I may add, that we may entertain an undoubting trust that any view of the creation which is found to be true, will also be found to supply material for reverential contemplation. I venture to hope that we may, by further examination, be led to a reverence of a deeper and more solemn character than a mere wonder at the immensity of space and number.
Whewell's warning, of course, could also be directed at those who believe that evolutionary change must have been guided by Platonic archetypes, or that all life sprang fully formed from the ground (though they will have different reasons from a reverence for magnitude and number).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Biology and Christian Ethics , pp. 58 - 93Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2000