Daniel Dennett's Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life Science can give us as good a moral code as any religion. Or so Daniel Dennett claims in his book, Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life. Dennett provides the tools to explain human morality, and inadvertently leads the way to the conclusion (which he does not share) that science can clarify how human morality came about, but not serve as a substitute or model for moral codes, religious and secular alike. It all begins with Dennett's assertion that everything- everything- is a product of an algorithmic process, which comes about as a result of random change. By definition these algorithmic processes, evolution included, are "matter first". Dennett uses a metaphor of "cranes"; that new changes in species or anything else are made possible by what already existed in the material world. When speaking about life it is also usefully explained by considering adaptation to be, in practice, exaptation. Nothing in the Darwinian story of the world suggests that anything about better or worse, or for that matter, good and evil. This is the main point commonly used to dispel notions of Social Darwinism. But it, in my mind, is not sufficient. A few people are doing better in the world than others, and it is not because they are better than the others, or that the others are inferior, it just happened that way because of social circumstances. It has nothing to do with biology. So what! Science here offers no ethical insight; it only prompts indifference. Even if Darwinism is no justification for social injustice, it does nothing to suggest that there is an urgent need for social change. At worst, if one does not take away from this a w... ... middle of paper ... ...reate stories and go beyond nature. These stories themselves are often the motivation for what we determine to be evil upon examining an alternate story, but we do not have a choice about whether or not we tell stories at all. That is in our nature. Alternately, without our stories we would not experience good and beautiful. The most dissatisfying aspect of a matter-first explanation of morality is that it absolves us from any responsibility for how we impact the natural world and other human beings. This could come as a welcome relief, after considering the incomprehensible responsibility of being an agent of creation. But consider again all the hope and possibilities that lie in being able to tell stories that change the world! Works Cited Dennett, Daniel C. Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life. New York, NY: Simon&Schuster, 1995.
HeLa cells were one of the greatest medical inventions that came about for the scientific field and yet the woman behind this medical feat is not fully remembered and honored. Her cells and tissue were taken away from her without consent and more than that, she was exploited for being black and not questioning what the doctor was doing. Her family suffered through countless years of agonizing pain in which they were misinformed about where and what her cells were being used for. Yes, HeLa cells changed the way we view medicine today, but only at the cost of creating one of the greatest controversies of owning ones body.
Many people have different views on the moral subject of good and evil or human nature. It is the contention of this paper that humans are born neutral, and if we are raised to be good, we will mature into good human beings. Once the element of evil is introduced into our minds, through socialization and the media, we then have the potential to do bad things. As a person grows up, they are ideally taught to be good and to do good things, but it is possible that the concept of evil can be presented to us. When this happens, we subconsciously choose whether or not to accept this evil. This where the theories of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke become interesting as both men differed in the way they believed human nature to be. Hobbes and Locke both picture a different scene when they express human nature.
The theory of Social Darwinism stems from the idea that the human species can progress by following the principal of Charles Darwin’s natural selection, in which he states that plants and animals that can adapt to changes in their environment are able to survive and reproduce, while those that cannot adapt will die. Social Darwinists applied this biological concept to social, political and economic issues, which created the “survival of the fittest” attitude, as well as competition and inequality between social groups. This paper will discuss some of the proponents of this theory, the results of their interpretation and application of the theory, and why this theory no longer holds a prominent position in Anthropological theory.
Lennox, James. "Darwinism." Stanford University. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2010 Edition). , 13 Aug. 2004. Web. 12 May 2014.
Toiler, Paige W., Elizabeth A. Suter, and Todd C. Trautman. "Gender Role Identity And Attitudes Toward Feminism." Sex Roles 51.1/2 (2004): 85-90. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 3 Nov. 2013.
Most people believe that Social Darwinism is a term that can only be applied to people’s race, and for most well known social Darwinism theories this is true. The basis of these theories is always revolved around the term survival of the fittest. Darwin works where to do with animals and how animal species have ada...
Greeson et al. (2010) found complex trauma to be a significant predictor on tests for internalizing problems, for PTSD, and for having at least one clinical diagnosis. They recommend a “trauma-informed perspective, because of the negative effects of trauma on an already negatively-affected population” This means catering treatment, considering the client’s experiences and seeking out evidence based approaches to trauma-based treatments.
Norris, Fran H. “Epidemiology of Trauma: Frequency and Impact of Different Demographic Groups.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 60.3 (1992): 409–418. Print.
Alzheimer's disease is a disorder marked by a gradual decline brain function that gets worse with time. It used to be assumed that this change was a normal part of aging we called senility. Several people grow this illness when they become the age of 40 ("Biomarkers Key to Future of Alzheimer's Diagnosis, 2010"). However, the disease is most common in persons over the age of 65. It is predictable about 10 percent of people over 65 years of age may have Alzheimer's disease and that in persons over the age of 85; up to 50 percent may be affected ("Risk Factors", n.d.). Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of the aging process. It is not contagious,...
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking and behavior. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. Dementia is the lost of thinking, remembering and reasoning so bad it screws up ability to do daily functions and eventually resolves in death. Dr. Alois Alzheimer’s first discovered the disease in 1906. Since then research has developed a deeper understanding of the changes in the brain. Warning sign’s of Alzheimer's are memory loss that affects home and job skills, problem in speaking, poor judgment, and difficulty in learning. The last stage of Alzheimer's disease is when you’re unable to take care of yourself. The disease can last from 3 to 20 years from the time of onset of symptoms. Alzheimer’s disease affects as many as 4 million Americans. It can affect almost any age but still is more common in the ederly. As ageing population continues to increase, so does the disease. Today, 3% of the people ages 65 to 75 have alzheimer’s, 10% of those aged 75 to 85 have alzheimer’s and half the age 85 may have it to. Without a new cure it is estimated that alzheimers will affect over 14 million people by 2050. The elderly are the most infected with the disease and its still spreading. Other disease in common with Alzheimer’s is multi-infract dementia, Huntington’s disease, Pick’s disease, and Parkinson disease. People wonder if Alzheimer is genetic “meaning runs in families” the answer is the evidence isn't clear. Doctors and Physicians say if you have a by blood family member with Alzheimer's there's a slightly greater chance of getting or having the Alzheimer's disease. Many wonder if memory loss is a natural part of aging. The answer is yes and no, everyone has forgotten where he or she parked their car or the name of an acquaintance a one time or another. And many healthy individuals are less able to remember certain kinds of information as they get older. The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are much more severe than simple memory lapses. This chart will kinda help you understand the difference.
One concept that has played a significant role in American history involves Social Darwinism, as it has affected topics from helping the immigrants and the poor to mandated sterilization. While one may think Social Darwinism and Evolutionary Darwinism are the same concepts, they are quite different, though Social Darwinism does draw some of its fundamental points from Evolutionary Darwinism. For instance, Social Darwinism adopted the principle of “survival of the fittest”; however, it applied this concept not to the evolution of man, but to racial superiority and inferiority, especially regarding the mentally disabled, criminals, and disadvantaged (Dennis, 1995). It is crucial to note, though, that
People can experience traumatic events in many different ways; divorce, war, moving or even rape. A traumatic event is an incident that causes physical, emotional, spiritual, or psychological harm (Cafasso, 2016, para. 1). Traumatic events may not particularly happen to you directly but can affect those around you in various ways. From my previous work experience numerous individuals can handle a traumatic event in a healthy manner and others may experience depression, anxiety, difficulty concentrating and even changes in appetite. Such events can be managed either by seeking out professional or spiritual help. Those who experience traumatic events can be affected in countless ways but have the opportunity to seek out professional help to receive
Klin, Candyce. “Darwinism as A Cultural Issue” Cedar Crest College, 2 June 2001. Web. 17
Lawrence Robinson, M. S. (2011, December). HELPGUIDE.ORG. Retrieved from Healing Emotional and Psychological Trauma: http://helpguide.org/mental/emotional_psychological_trauma.htm
In Chapter 28 of DeWitt’s book, Worldviews: An Introduction to the History and Philosophy of Science, DeWitt builds on his previous discussion of what the theory of evolution is and the historical developments that were discovered during that time, by introducing the implications that arise with the theory. The two main implications that are discussed in this chapter are implications due to religious beliefs and morality and ethics. However, these two particular implications are not the only ones that arise with the theory of evolution, in fact there are a lot of implications involved with this theory.