Evolution and Literature Web Paper 2

The Evolution of Abortion Laws and Practices

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE

Having a belief in free will can shape a view of life.  Believing in free will “grants” people the ability to truly change the world and shape their own lives.  Most people who believe in free will acknowledge that there are limitations – one cannot do whatever they want, but they can make a choice between whatever options are presented.  A belief in the lack of free will is often seen as a negative and apathetic outlook.  Because of this connotation, in my experience, most people cling to the idea of free will and treat the matter as if there is no other option.  Unsure of my own beliefs on the matter, I intend to present the option of a lack of free will, since I see it as being just as justifiable and viable an argument as the argument for free will.  Biology, along with evo

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE

Daniel Dennett speaks in his book about the one thing that makes humans so different from chimps and gorillas that make us so different from them – our culture.  In all parts of the world new cultures and rules around them emerge.  The culture in each society makes the societies different.  And as these cultures interact over time, they change, adapting ideas from one another and changing the ideas of the humans who live in these societies.  One way to see the shifts in these cultures today is to see whats on TV or in the theater – or in this case, the cartoons.

Julia Lewis
Professor Dalke

“What would happen if you somehow came upon or created a dollop of universal acid? …  Little did I realize that in a few years I would encounter an idea-Darwin’s idea-bearing and unmistakable likeness to universal acid: it eats through just about everything traditional concept, and leaves in its wake a revolutionized world-view, with most old landmarks still recognizable, but transformed in fundamental ways.”  (Dennett 63)

Yes, in Fact

“There's a world of difference between truth and facts. Facts can obscure the truth.” -Maya Angelou

 

In my last piece, I argued that the theories of natural selection and intelligent design can coexist peacefully due to the underlying differences in the theories. Natural selection, like all science, is based on the realm of what I will call “facts:” concrete, communicable observations of the world. The evidence for religious understanding, however, cannot be faithfully transmitted or duplicated in the way that scientific proof must be; it is based in the abstract realm.