Diego Rivera
Michael Polanyi College
Semester Three Allopoïesis – Biology Essay
December 10th, 2013
Michael Polanyi College
Semester Three Allopoïesis – Biology Essay
December 10th, 2013
The Evolution of Darwin
Few theories have had such great impact on the development of science and the understanding of our world as Darwin’s theory of evolution. It’s one of the greatest discoveries of the XIX century and only a few have dared to try to prove Darwin wrong. Rooted in deep observation and cautious inferences, Darwin was able to build a theory so strong that most of it holds till this day. Now a day, natural selection is one of the cornerstones of modern biology. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that there are still some questions waiting to be answered in the area of evolution. Some of them are about whether or not Darwin’s theory leaves out the notion of God. Could these two co-exist? Have they adapted and evolved to survive (metaphorically speaking)? Other questions are about the degree in which Darwin’s theory is correct and until what point he leaves the ‘door open’ for other explanations of evolution different from natural selection. Although Darwin’s theory appears to be set on solid ground, there are some difficulties that may cause some shakiness on Darwin’s ground.
In The Origin of Species, Darwin only mentions the Creator a couple of times and it appears to not go into that issue. Darwin’s position is more of exposing what he has found and for the reader to decide what position to be in this subject. Still, he presents arguments opposed to those of the Bible, so we can infer that he doesn’t believe in a direct intervention by a divine entity. Another example of this belief is the first epigraph by W. Whewell that he placed in the opposite of the title page of his first edition. In this case, he is arguing that there are general laws that would allow a scientist to explore and understand the world. One more argument against an intelligent design is his explanation of the creation of complex structures. He argues that even unimaginable structures like the human eye were created by variations inherited through generations that allowed those organisms to adapt better and survive. Of course, this is hard to believe and even to imagine. Nevertheless, it’s been over 3.6 billion years since the first simple cells appeared on Earth, and more than 2.5 million years since the existence of human predecessors, so it’s a long time for these variations to happen.
Even though it’s been a long time since the first forms of life appeared on Earth, Darwin isn’t sure whether we all come from a common ancestor. Within classes, he doesn’t doubt that the process of natural selection has created these new species, but between classes he leaves the ‘door open’ for other explanations other than natural selection. Do all species come from a common ancestor or from many? And how does this affect Darwin’s theory in that these various ancestors came to being from different sources? Again, these are some questions that Darwin couldn’t answer and that affect his theory of small variations through time.
One final difficulty relates to that ‘open door’ that allows other explanations for evolution. The inheritance of variation is one of great importance. According to Darwin, these variations are random and occur because of the instability of the reproductive system in species, thus passing these variations to the next generation. If these variations are beneficial to allow the species to adapt and survive, the organisms will be naturally selected and that variation would stay in the species. This notion of inheritance doesn’t allow the development of variations other than in the reproductive system, which happen randomly. The notion of epigenetic rules, that is, changes in the organism’s structure due to its adaptation to an environment during its life and the inheritance of these to the next generation, is left out. This new form of Lamarckism is something that may cause Darwin’s theory to be on shaky ground, or at least make it broaden its concept of variations and natural selection.
Darwin’s theory of evolution through natural selection has contributed to our understanding of the world and how every species came to be as we now know it. Nevertheless, it leaves questions unanswered and opens the possibility that evolution through natural selection may not be the only way species evolve. Thus, our aim in studying the world would be to discover these new possibilities through a process similar to the one Darwin and many other great scientists and innovators have used. That is, the employment of careful observation, dedication, patience, and an attitude of awe and curiosity towards everything we encounter. If we keep applying this method, we can expect to understand more and more about our world and our history.
In The Origin of Species, Darwin only mentions the Creator a couple of times and it appears to not go into that issue. Darwin’s position is more of exposing what he has found and for the reader to decide what position to be in this subject. Still, he presents arguments opposed to those of the Bible, so we can infer that he doesn’t believe in a direct intervention by a divine entity. Another example of this belief is the first epigraph by W. Whewell that he placed in the opposite of the title page of his first edition. In this case, he is arguing that there are general laws that would allow a scientist to explore and understand the world. One more argument against an intelligent design is his explanation of the creation of complex structures. He argues that even unimaginable structures like the human eye were created by variations inherited through generations that allowed those organisms to adapt better and survive. Of course, this is hard to believe and even to imagine. Nevertheless, it’s been over 3.6 billion years since the first simple cells appeared on Earth, and more than 2.5 million years since the existence of human predecessors, so it’s a long time for these variations to happen.
Even though it’s been a long time since the first forms of life appeared on Earth, Darwin isn’t sure whether we all come from a common ancestor. Within classes, he doesn’t doubt that the process of natural selection has created these new species, but between classes he leaves the ‘door open’ for other explanations other than natural selection. Do all species come from a common ancestor or from many? And how does this affect Darwin’s theory in that these various ancestors came to being from different sources? Again, these are some questions that Darwin couldn’t answer and that affect his theory of small variations through time.
One final difficulty relates to that ‘open door’ that allows other explanations for evolution. The inheritance of variation is one of great importance. According to Darwin, these variations are random and occur because of the instability of the reproductive system in species, thus passing these variations to the next generation. If these variations are beneficial to allow the species to adapt and survive, the organisms will be naturally selected and that variation would stay in the species. This notion of inheritance doesn’t allow the development of variations other than in the reproductive system, which happen randomly. The notion of epigenetic rules, that is, changes in the organism’s structure due to its adaptation to an environment during its life and the inheritance of these to the next generation, is left out. This new form of Lamarckism is something that may cause Darwin’s theory to be on shaky ground, or at least make it broaden its concept of variations and natural selection.
Darwin’s theory of evolution through natural selection has contributed to our understanding of the world and how every species came to be as we now know it. Nevertheless, it leaves questions unanswered and opens the possibility that evolution through natural selection may not be the only way species evolve. Thus, our aim in studying the world would be to discover these new possibilities through a process similar to the one Darwin and many other great scientists and innovators have used. That is, the employment of careful observation, dedication, patience, and an attitude of awe and curiosity towards everything we encounter. If we keep applying this method, we can expect to understand more and more about our world and our history.