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One of the things that most interested me in this week's discussions took place in our small-group discussion when Professor Dalke's group talked about the concept of existentialism.  Although we did not discuss it in detail, the juxtaposition between a foundationalist point of view and an existentialist point of view got me thinking about why some people are so opposed to the current story of evolution.

A foundationalist's view of life is essentially the opposite of that of an existentialist.  That is, a foundationalist believes that any evolution that occurs in the species is bringing that species closer to a fixed or pre-set ideal that gives purpose to the existence of that species.  An existentialist believes that a human's "existence precedes essence," or that there is no set or fixed purpose for the existence of human life, but that through the fact of existence we are able to give ourselves an "essence" or a purpose.  The currently "accepted" story of evolution (i.e. the one we are most often taught in school) is that changes in the species occur as results of random, but strong, environmental stimuli.  This is directly opposed to the idea that human life and evolution exist for the purpose of achieving some greater purpose or reaching some sort of ideal end.

Obviously, the idea that humans only evolved from monkeys as a means of making existence easier (walking upright being a prime example) is scary to many people.  The idea that we as human beings do not have a set purpose and must create one for ourselves probably induces in some people a panic about 100 times as strong as the panic one feels upon having to choose one's major and presumably one's career life-long career path.  However, now that I can see the story of evolution as a story that I can choose to like or dislike rather than absolute fact, I think I prefer the existentialist story.  The idea that we as humans do not exist for any specific reason is empowering to me, because it means that we each have the opportunity to choose and fulfill a purpose for ourselves as individuals.