Evolutionary Unreliable History
History books are boring. When a child is asked if he or she wants to read a history book, the answer received will most likely be no. When asked about princess books or super hero books, there might be a yes given. But when is the line drawn on to what is a historical book and what is not? History books have obvious characteristics: indexes, facts about past events, a lot of sources, etc. Since these characteristics are what makes a book a historical text, then Evolutionary History by Edmund Russell should be a historical text. Right? Wrong. Evolutionary History by Edmund Russell is used to convince readers that evolutionary history is, in fact, a field of history and science combined, by using logical historical
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Although choicely favored, complete objectivity is quite hard to achieve and is often never found, therefore historians remain slightly subjective but revolve around the factual information of the time, place, or event they are writing about. In Evolutionary History, Russell shows his subjectivity more than he ought to through his use of historical facts to reinforce his thesis on evolution. Russell’s viewpoint on evolution is completely subjective. Chapter 2 of Russell’s book is solely set on learning and persuading you with facts that evolution is an everyday happening. He begins the chapter with a quotation of common perceptions of evolution. Specifically the phrase, “’That is not real evolution’” (Russell 6), and proceeds to say, “If you have similar questions or objections, this chapter is for you” (Russell 6). Evolution is an arguable topic that brings debate in the United States as well as other nations. Scientifically, proof of evolution can be brought about in experiments as well as Russell’s favorite, history. Religious views is the consideration that forces this book into the category of subjective. If every aspect of evolution is undeniable, like many events in historical texts, then it would be a closer relative, and maybe even a historical text. Because Evolutionary History fails to limit the subjectivity shown through the topics presented in the text, it remains in the category of an …show more content…
Historical texts, unless a primary source, do no incorporate personal stories of the author or editor. Russell, however, uses this to supplement the argument he is proposing in the chapter. “When I was thirteen, my grandfather died of a heart attack. He had entered the hospital for treatment of a prostate problem. Once there, he picked up an infection that lead to heart failure. His death saddened me, of course, but it also puzzles me. I had seen wonder drugs such as penicillin cure ailments plaguing members of my family, so I could not understand why similar drugs would not have controlled my grandfather’s infection” (Russell 1). Going on, he explains how the story of his grandfather may be an example of Evolutionary History’s argument. Although more interesting to read, a personal family experience to supplement his text would not be something found in a regular historical text. Comparisons to personal experiences are found in critiques or
MAS Ultra School Edition. Wednesday, February 6th, 2014. Internet Stefoff, Rebecca. The. “Charles Darwin: And the Evolution Revolution.”
"Charles Darwin: The Father of Evolution." Darwin1. University of Missouri, n.d. Web. 04 May 2014.
... The “Doubting Darwin”. Newsweek.com - "The New York Times" 07 Feb 2005. 44. eLibrary.
Bowler, Peter J. Evolution: The History of an Idea. London: University of California Press, 1989.
Charles Darwin, the Father of Evolution, was a British scientist who laid the foundations of the theory of evolution, transforming the thinking of the entire world about the living things around us (Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882)). After working on his theory for nearly 20 years, he published On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859. As soon as the book was released, the controversy began with each sides gaining followers until the climax on July 10, 1925. The idea that animals could “evolve” and change into new species, including humans, was one that challenged not only how people thought about the natural world, but challenged the story of the creation from the Bible itself. Even though Darwin himself never said that humans “evolved” from apes, everyone took it as a logical extension of his new theory. It went against the idea of argument for design that had unified theology and science for decades (Moran 5). This new threat to Christianity and the social culture of the time was one that would transform state laws on their educational curriculum.
Butler, Chris. "The Flow of History." Welcome -. N.p., 1 Jan. 2007. Web. 19 May 2014. .
Anyone with even a moderate background in science has heard of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution. Since the publishing of his book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859, Darwin’s ideas have been debated by everyone from scientists to theologians to ordinary lay-people. Today, though there is still severe opposition, evolution is regarded as fact by most of the scientific community and Darwin’s book remains one of the most influential ever written.
Keith Henson a writer in evolutionary psychology once said that “Evolution acts slowly. Our psychological characteristics today are those that promoted reproductive success in the ancestral environment.” Evolution was first introduced by a naturalist by the name of Charles Darwin. Darwin had written an autobiography, at the age of 50, On the Origin of Species (1859) explaining how species evolve through time by natural selection; this theory became known as Darwinism. “Verlyn Klinkenborg, who writes editorials and vignettes on science and nature for the “New York Times”” (Muller 706) questions Darwin’s theory in one of his essays he wrote called Darwin at 200: The Ongoing Force of His Unconventional Idea. Both articles talk about the theory of Darwinism, but the authors’ use different writing techniques and were written in different time periods. Darwin himself writes to inform us on what the theory is, where as Klinkenborg goes on to explain why Darwinism is just a theory. Today, evolution is still a very controversial topic among many. It comes up in several topics that are discussed everyday such as in politics, religion and education.
One Long Argument: Charles Darwin and the Genesis or Modern Evolutionary Thought. Ernst Mayr. Harvard University Press, 1993.
Evolutionists should wisely choose and incorporate information from different perspectives, so that the full picture of our evolutionary history is truly shown.
The entirety of “Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction” by Eugenie C. Scott masterfully covers the ongoing controversy surrounding religion and the theory of evolution. It is written in such a way to where any person, no matter how familiar they are with the subject matter, can understand the content offered. Evolution has always been a sensitive topic in the realm of education but has only been made worse due to the involvement of individuals who lack a background in science and misinterpret the vocabulary surrounding it. The novel would have been a good read prior to taking the exam for the sole fact that it would have given me a better understanding of evolution as a whole, as well as have some insight into the history.
Wiester, John L. 1993. The Real Meaning of Evolution. Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith 45 (3): 182-86.
Evolution views life to be a process by which organisms diversified from earlier forms, whereas creation illustrates that life was created by a supernatural being. Creation and evolution both agree on the existence of microevolution and the resemblance of apes and humans but vary in terms of interpreting the origins of the life from a historical standpoint. A concept known as Faith Vs Fact comprehensively summarizes the tone of this debate, which leads to the question of how life began. While creation represents a religious understanding of life, evolution acknowledges a scientific interpretation of the origins of life. The theory is illustrated as the process by which organisms change species over time.
Throughout history, it has been highly debated on defining evolution as theory or not, but the clearer answer proves evolution is just a theory. To understand why evolution is a theory, the definition of evolution is “the process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth” (Oxford Dictionary, 2017). The theory of evolution was first formulated in Darwin's book "On the Origin of Species" in 1859. The theory simply means that creatures evolved from ancestors naturally over time. In summary, “as random genetic mutations occur within an organism's genetic code, the beneficial mutations are preserved because they aid survival a process known as “natural selection” (Than, 2017).
Though our history may bring back horrible memories of the ?grimmest dimensions of human nature? (Limerick 472), it is necessary to have a good historical background. History gives us the ability to improve future outputs, satisfy our unending need for knowledge, and understand how many policies and regulations have come to be. Without history mankind would be very primitive and ununified. Our complete molding of the world today is almost completely dependent on the fact that we study our history. Without history present day humans would be nothing more than cavemen.