Famed Philosopher of Evolution Discusses History of Conflict over Darwinism
Eitan Kastner
Issue date: 10/11/05 Section: News
On September 26, Professor Michael Ruse, a celebrated philosopher of biology, addressed students and faculty members in two different settings in conjunction with the ongoing Yeshiva College book project. Ruse, who is the Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy and Director of the History and Philosophy of Science Programs at Florida State University, participated in a roundtable discussion with Yeshiva professors on the topic of science and religion and delivered a lecture on the history of the creationism-evolutionism conflict.
The evening lecture was entitled "Darwinism and Atheism: A Marriage Made in Heaven?" and was held in Furst Hall, room 501. Although one of the larger venues on campus for a lecture, only around fifty students and faculty were in attendance for Ruse's Power Point lecture.
As the tongue-in-cheek title implies, the lecture focused on the history of the development of Darwinian evolution and its relationship with Christianity. Ruse stressed that he would not focus on the conflict between Judaism and evolution since he believes that the two do not clash. Only through the lense of biblical literalism does evolution and Judaism quarrel. Ruse focused his lecture on the issue of the rise of biblical literalism as a political tool to counter progressive ideology.
He began his argument by describing Christianity during the Enlightenment. The new ideas at the time split religion into two camps: that of the Theists, who believe that God intervenes in the world of man, and the Deists who believe God lets the world run by its own design. But this stratum did not immediately lead to the belief in biblical literalism; rather it solidified the camps into those that believed in progress, the Deists, and those who believed in providence, the Theists. Darwinism, argued Ruse, was the offspring of deistic thought, what Ruse called, "the bastard child of Christianity," since it developed from numerous ideas of nineteenth century Christian thinkers. Ruse made sure to point out that Charles Darwin was an Anglican pastor when he wrote his magnum opus, The Origin of Species, and that "religion was something that was very important in leading people into accepting evolution," Ruse said. "I do not see evolution as something that is anti-religion."
The evening lecture was entitled "Darwinism and Atheism: A Marriage Made in Heaven?" and was held in Furst Hall, room 501. Although one of the larger venues on campus for a lecture, only around fifty students and faculty were in attendance for Ruse's Power Point lecture.
As the tongue-in-cheek title implies, the lecture focused on the history of the development of Darwinian evolution and its relationship with Christianity. Ruse stressed that he would not focus on the conflict between Judaism and evolution since he believes that the two do not clash. Only through the lense of biblical literalism does evolution and Judaism quarrel. Ruse focused his lecture on the issue of the rise of biblical literalism as a political tool to counter progressive ideology.
He began his argument by describing Christianity during the Enlightenment. The new ideas at the time split religion into two camps: that of the Theists, who believe that God intervenes in the world of man, and the Deists who believe God lets the world run by its own design. But this stratum did not immediately lead to the belief in biblical literalism; rather it solidified the camps into those that believed in progress, the Deists, and those who believed in providence, the Theists. Darwinism, argued Ruse, was the offspring of deistic thought, what Ruse called, "the bastard child of Christianity," since it developed from numerous ideas of nineteenth century Christian thinkers. Ruse made sure to point out that Charles Darwin was an Anglican pastor when he wrote his magnum opus, The Origin of Species, and that "religion was something that was very important in leading people into accepting evolution," Ruse said. "I do not see evolution as something that is anti-religion."