Ernst Mayr's What Evolution Is: Creationism vs Evolution
The Bible contends that God created the extant world, imposing order on the preexisting chaos. Darwin's theory of evolution introduced another notion of the world, posing a great challenge to the Christian tenets. According to it, all organisms are not the creations of a supreme being, but have descended from a simple unicellular organism that somehow developed a lipid membrane, could store its genetic information and transcribe it when necessary. Darwin dared suggest that the extant world is by far not perfect or stable as depicted in the Bible, but is constantly changing. Summarizing the major points of Darwin's story, Mayr does not tell a new one. So, what is the aim of "What Evolution Is" then?
Darwin's theory of evolution defines movement as an attribute of life. Owing to changes in the surrounding environment, the species constantly respond by following suit. But what determines these changes? Drawing on Darwin's story, Mayr implies that chance shapes reality. Subtly analyzing this aspect of the theory of evolution, he challenges our notions of the surrounding world.
Chance determines ontogeny. The fertilization of the egg and, hence, the subsequent formation of the individual's genotype, are random events independent of logic or rationality. Moreover, all of a sudden a mutation may occur in the species' genetic information, resulting in a completely new feature. Whether it will be preserved and transmitted to the offspring cannot be predicted. Depending on the specific environmental conditions, it may give the species some advantage, thus inducing natural selection to act in its favour. Therefore, natural selection is guided by chance.
Random events acco...
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... of the theory of evolution. Consequently, the observer and the observed cannot be separated. Such realization that reality is partly what people make of it encourages us to play and experiment with life.
In his account of Darwin's theory, Mayr uses the principles of evolution to account for phenomena in human societies and culture. Reinforcing the significance if chance in the formation of reality, Mayr challenges us to redefine our values and identify the factors that stump our development. Analyzing the aspects of the theory of evolution, he suggests a new way of thinking that empowers humans to cast off the fear that thwarts their ability to play and experiment with reality. Much stamina on the part of people will this entail. Are humans prepared to answer such a challenge?
Works Cited:
Ernst Mayr, What Evolution Is (New York, N.Y.: Basic Books, 2001)
In Inherit The Wind, by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, is about a big trial in a small town, and a controversial Creation versus Evolution debate. There are many characters with flamboyant and powerful personalities. Among them are: Matthew Harrison Brady, and Henry Drummond. Although all of these influential people are powerful, not all of them have the same amount of power, not only over other people, but over themselves as well.
What is evolution and how does it work? Evolution is the theory of how one form of life changes into another form. Evolution also is the change in a population’s inherited traits from generation to generation. Evolution helps to explain why an animal, human, and plant looks the way it does and acts the way it does; it gives an explanation of the history of life. Genes come in many varieties, and the evolution helps to make it happen.
What is Child Labor?Child Labor is work that harms children or keeps them from attending school. Around the world and in the U.S., growing gaps between rich and poor in recent decades have forced millions of young children out of school and into work. It is estimated that 215 million children between the ages of 5 and 17 are currently working under conditions that are considered illegal, hazardous, or extremely exploitative.1 Underage children work many different types of jobs that included commercial agriculture, fishing, manufacturing, mining, and domestic services. Some children were involved in illicit activities that included drug trade, prostitution, and other traumatic occupations that included serving as soldiers. Child Labor involved threatening children’s physical, mental, or emotional well- being. It involved intolerable abuse, such as slavery, child trafficking, debt bondage, forced labor or illicit activities and prevented children from going to school.
Birth control is an affordable basic preventive health care measure that is critical to achieving
Since promoting birth control was still illegal in many states, the FDA approved the hormone pills for menstrual disorders, such as irregular periods or PMS. By 1960, the FDA had approved the first oral contraceptive tablet, Envoid, and by 1965 millions of women were on “The Pill”. That same year, the Supreme Court struck down state laws that prohibited contraception use, though only for married couples. Unmarried people were out of luck until 1972, when birth control was deemed legal for all (Seigel). The Pill was not without critics. Many people pointed to the contraceptive as the trigger that changed society. The fact that its rise coincided with feminism and the sexual revolution added fuel to the fire. “Some African-American leaders were especially critical of the Pill, claiming that it was being peddled in their community for the purpose of a “black genocide”(NIBH). However, nothing stopped the Pill from catching on. The Pill was an international revolution as well. Today, more than 100 million women worldwide use the Pill to prevent pregnancy. Yet access to safe and effective birth control still isn’t a universal privilege. A report from the Guttmacher Institute in 2012 found that 222 million women in developing countries want to use birth control, but are not currently able to access modern contraceptives (GLOWM). Even in the U.S., there has been a political push to restrict access. The rise of “religious bills” has also meant that hospital employees, pharmacists, and employer’s religious views on birth control can refuse to fill prescriptions or cover employee’s insurance coverage for contraception. History has shown that women and men will risk their lives or reputations for effective birth control. Restricted access to contraceptives does not necessarily mean that women will not be able to prevent pregnancies, but
"What Is Contraception? What is Birth Control?." Medical News Today. Medical News Today , 02 September 2009. Web. 4 Dec 2013.
Statistics indicate improvement in child labor issues, but trends can be reversed easily. Some child labor is more service-oriented and not a part that can be challenged by a boycott or legislation. Child labor in some countries involves being a servant who does not produce goods. Before identifying the consequences of child labor, probable causes and possible cures must be identified.
The purpose of this academic piece is to critically discuss The Darwinist implication of the evolutionary psychological conception of human nature. Charles Darwin’s “natural selection” will be the main factor discussed as the theory of evolution was developed by him. Evolutionary psychology is the approach on human nature on the basis that human behavior is derived from biological factors and there are psychologists who claim that human behavior is not something one is born with but rather it is learned. According to Downes, S. M. (2010 fall edition) “Evolutionary psychology is one of the many biologically informed approaches to the study of human behavior”. This goes further to implicate that evolutionary psychology is virtually based on the claims of the human being a machine that can be programmed to do certain things and because it can be programmed it has systems in the body that allow such to happen for instance the nervous system which is the connection of the spinal cord and the brain and assists in voluntary and involuntary motor movements.
With the studies that Charles Darwin obtained he published his first work, “The Origin of Species.” In this book he explained how for millions of years animals, and plants have evolved to better help their existence. Darwin reasoned that these living things had gradually changed over time to help themselves. The changes that he found seemed to have been during the process of reproduction. The traits which would help them survive became a dominant trait, while the weaker traits became recessive. A good example of what Darwin was trying to explain is shown in giraffes. Long-necked giraffes could reach the food on the trees, while the short-necked giraffes couldn’t. Since long necks helped the giraffes eat, short-necked giraffes died off from hunger. Because of this long-necks became a dominant trait in giraffes. This is what Charles Darwin would later call natural selection.
This essay will discuss Fast Fashion and the Impact of Technology. I will focus on the different levels of the market, the effect of fast fashion on fashion design, how copying effects high end designer brands and the impact of technology on the fashion industry.
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Children working might not seem like a bad ordeal; however, kids doing labor might paint a different thought in mind. Child labor is a form of human trafficking, which is present all around the world, but many people in different countries do not see it as a problem. School and the freedom to be a kid is given up because of human trafficking. Child labor is something that needs to stop all around the world. People do not see the damage of human trafficking like child labor and the affect it has on children on a mental and physical level.
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Child labor is one of the biggest concerns occurring around the world. Over one hundred million children work in dangerous conditions in agriculture, mining, and other sectors. People around the world are working to end child labor and help them reunite with their families as well get them an education. Child labor violates human rights due to its inhumane actions that result in the amount of casualties, injuries and poverty. This global issue cannot be resolved unless laws and regulations are reinforced strictly.