Transcript Morality
Evolution leads to immorality? • Evolution is a scientific theory • Science has nothing to say on morality • Morality is irrelevant to truth – These two things are totally separate • What is true • What you want to be true – Which are you trying to ascertain? • If you want to justify hatred and atrocities, you can do that with evolution, religion, patriotism, sex, vegetarianism, whatever… • If you want to justify goodness and benevolence, you can do that with evolution, religion, patriotism, sex, vegetarianism, whatever… © Colin Frayn, 2008 www.frayn.net Is Evolution a religion? • 1. re·li·gion (rĭ-lĭj'ən) n. Religion a. b. • 1. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship. sci·ence (sī'əns) n. Science a. The observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. © Colin Frayn, 2008 www.frayn.net Evolutionists follow Darwin • Science works by evaluating theories • The person proposing a theory is irrelevant • A theory must: – Possess good underlying models – Provide strong supporting evidence – Make provable (correct) predictions • Scientists greatly admire Darwin – He had an extremely important and courageous idea • It revolutionised scientific thought • It was the result of decades of painstaking hard work – Darwin’s original theories have been modified, corrected and updated over the last 150 years • He would barely recognise modern biology! – The amazing thing is that the basic thesis was so simple and powerful that it needed very little correction © Colin Frayn, 2008 www.frayn.net Darwinism leads to killings • What leads to evil is almost always a failure to accept rational free thought • Here’s a list of the most evil people of the last century: – – – – Adolf Hitler, Germany Josef Stalin, Russia Mao Tse Tung, China Pol Pot, Cambodia • Which of these was a society in which rational free thought and civil liberties were encouraged, and political decisions were based on well-documented scientific evidence? • Or were they all societies in which free thought was ruthlessly suppressed and people were forced to do and say what they were told on pain of death? • Were they, in short, religions with a human dictator at the head? © Colin Frayn, 2008 www.frayn.net Eugenics • Eugenics: Systematically preventing certain ‘undesirable’ elements of the population from breeding in order to improve the gene pool • Is it based on natural selection? – Yes, loosely. • Is it morally right? – Science has no opinion on moral issues. • Does it even work? – No, in most cases the traits that Eugenics was used to combat were not even genetic. – Many genetic traits can be carried recessively without any external signs. – Some genetic traits, when carried by both parents, can lead to severe deformities in their children • Many people think that it is sensible to screen for such rare coincidences before children are conceived © Colin Frayn, 2008 www.frayn.net Social Darwinism • The discredited view that society should run the same way as nature – Allow the weak to die – Support the strong • Evolution explains how things work in nature – It does not imply that this is how things should be in human society – Leave it to politicians to screw that up… • Actually, evolution beautifully explains why humans cooperate – Natural selection rewards cooperation – Natural selection penalises antisocial behaviour – We are all family! © Colin Frayn, 2008 www.frayn.net A corrupt tree… • …bringeth forth corrupt fruit • Every good thing can be abused – A misunderstanding of natural selection no doubt inspired eugenics. – Religion directly inspired the Crusades, the Inquisition, suicide bombings, suicide cults etc. – Nuclear power led to nuclear weapons. – The internal combustion engine led to pollution, destruction of natural habitats and road traffic accidents. – Sunshine leads to skin cancer. – Electricity leads to electrocutions. – Water leads to drowning. – Etc… © Colin Frayn, 2008 www.frayn.net Claims of superior races • Evolution teaches us exactly the opposite: – All races have the exact same origin • … in Africa – Genetic differences are tiny • Race accounts for around 10% of the average genetic difference between two people picked at random – No one race was ever ‘preferred’ over any other – No race has a special place in any ‘plan’ • The only way we can know that all races are equal is through understanding genetics © Colin Frayn, 2008 www.frayn.net Evolution = Communism • Communism is anti-Christian? – “He hat put down the mighty from their seat, and the rich he hath sent empty away” (Luke 1: 52, The Magnificat) – “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.” (Acts 2: 44-45) – Sounds strikingly like Marx’s Communist Manifesto • Evolution does not imply (or require) communism – In fact, it explains why communism doesn’t work • Yes, Communism is stupid – We know this because we understand • Evolutionary psychology • Game theory • History © Colin Frayn, 2008 www.frayn.net