Abstract The writer explores the similarity between the two theories in that each acknowledges the evolutionary mechanisms for behavior that have been inherited. The rest of the paper highlights the ways in which the theories diverge: Darwinian Anthropology feels these are secondary to modern cultural influence while Evolutionary Psychology feels they are primary in explaining how and why we behave as we do.
From the Paper "Many feel that a combination of the two theories is a viable solution to the differences and weaknesses we have found. While this is not a direct comparison of our two original theories, it is important to look at ways in which they could coexist. These coevolutionary theories combine the study of current adaptations in current culture to help understand the evolution of mechanisms which initially drive the culture. The inverse is also true; studying the mechanisms of evolution in the human mind helps to understand why we behave as we do in modern society."
Tags: theory, adaptation, mechanism, culture, development
Abstract This paper explains why anthropological archeologists are interested in cultural evolution, discusses the Spencerian and Darwinian models of cultural evolution, identifies the key characteristics of tribes, chiefdoms, and archaic states, and analyzes what kinds of material remains might archaeologists find most useful in their search for a better understanding of how prehistoric cultural evolution worked.
Abstract This paper explores and discusses the contemporary and controversial issue of Euthanasia, more commonly known as "mercy killing." In the discussion regarding the origins of the issue, the debate would perhaps be incomplete without considering the Darwinian and Marxist views about this issue.
Abstract This paper discusses two major views of the cultural development of humans, which are Darwinian Anthropology and Evolutionary Psychology. This paper examines both theories and finds that they have similarities, the most obvious of which being the basis of said development on the evolutionary theory of Charles Darwin. Each has its own justifiable points on human development; likewise each has its fallacies. It is the intent of this paper to explore these similarities and differences as well as the ramifications thereof.
Abstract In this article the writer notes that according to Aristotle, one of the greatest influences on the development of Western civilization, the natural world is unchanging, eternal and purposeful. The writer points out that this epistemology dominated Western civilization for the two thousand years leading up to Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. The writer discusses that Darwin's contribution was to make the theory public, to promote it and to provide extensive empirical evidence to back it up. At the heart of the theory is the revelation that nature is not immutable, but subject to change. The writer concludes that continued resistance is to be expected, but not to be overly feared; it is the inevitable death throes of an ideology that is giving way to one that is simply a fitter adaptation to the natural world and its demands on the human species.
From the Paper "With evidence mounting at every turn and only minor modifications being made to evolutionary theory (thanks to work mainly in molecular biology) many in the scientific community are astounded that a strong current of anti-Darwinism still persists anywhere, let alone in a modern nation such as the United States. Religious fundamentalism and intelligent design proponents have challenged the Darwinian world view since it upset the Aristotelian roughly one hundred fifty years ago. The scientific consensus is strongly in favor of evolution and the empirical evidence support the claims of evolutionary biology. Why does a current of opposition to the Darwinian world view still persist? It persists because two millennia is a long time for a cultural meme such as the Aristotelian world view to become entrenched and self-supporting. The Darwinians shouldn't be surprised that there is still resistance to their position after more than one hundred years--they should be amazed that after such a short historical period, the Darwinian world view is successfully subduing Aristotelian resistance wherever it is found."
Abstract This paper is an in-depth examination of people's belief or non-belief in God. The author attempts to show some of the areas of conflict between believers and non-believers, including does God exist, do we have to believe in God to live a full life, and exactly how important is God in our every day life. The author looks at how different religions, authors, philosophers and theorists have attempted to answer these questions since the beginning of time.
From the Paper "The Intelligent Designer theory has gotten more sophisticated. Some of its proponents are Dr. Michael Behe- who proposed ordered creationism at the molecular level, and Philip E. Johnson, the self-styled leader of the Intelligence Designer movement. These theorists aver that the complexities of living beings, the mechanisms within even a single living cell, the balance of everything in nature, are unfathomable when looked at from a perspectives of evolutionists?the number of random permutations that had to occur before it all fell into place. In other words, the natural order of things we see around and within us had to have been pre-designed. The Intelligent Designer theory from a standpoint of astronomy is known as the ?anthropic principle.? Astronomer Sir Edward Hoyle and Mathematician Chandra Singh, both avowed atheists, calculated the odds that the world as we see it occurring by chance are 1 in 1040,000"truly, a number unfathomable even by astronomical standards. South African Astronomer David Block has observed that the Universe is expanding at the right rate and balance that sustains life on planet. There is an inbuilt design factor that cares for the universe"God the Intelligent Designer."
Abstract This paper examines how Herman Melville struggled to reconcile the implications of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution with his Protestant beliefs. This paper traces the rise of pre-Darwinian and Darwinian evolutionary ideas and their impact on the characters in "Moby-Dick", specifically Ahab, who sees his crew in evolutionary terms and his struggle with the white whale as survival of the fittest. The theme is explored further through an examination of the poem, Clarel, in which Melville conducts a theological debate with himself through the characters. Some of Melville's biographical information is included to reinforce the thesis.
From the Paper "The nineteenth century proved to be a time of great upheaval and change in both religion and science. Even before the publication of Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species in 1859, advancements in the fields of biology and geology had begun to demonstrate that life on Earth had not always been as it is today and that the biblical account of creation could no longer be held as a literal truth. This conclusion led many to question man's role in the universe and his previously assumed superiority over the world. Furthermore, these findings brought into question the nature of God and the very existence of God itself."
Abstract This paper examines the life of Charles Darwin, most famous for his work "On the Origin of Species". The paper provides a history of the life of Darwin and discusses the book "On The Origin of Species". The paper briefly explains Darwin's theory on natural selection and examines the use of Social Darwinism as the logical extension of Darwinian principles of 'survival of the fittest' into the human dimension. In addition, the paper discusses the use Darwinian principles in dating, where the female has to choose a partner whose genes offer her offspring the best chance of survival.
From the Paper "Social Darwinism, or more correctly, the concept of the survival of the fittest, can be applied to all manner of different ideologies such as capitalism, organised human conflict, racism, colonialism, imperialism and business. Although Darwin foresaw the enormous fuss that his theory would produce in the religious realm, he probably did not anticipate just how deeply it would affect the consciousness of society. Darwin, typically, would probably have taken a measured approach in determining the value of his thinking as applied to society. His holistic view of nature included dependence of one being on another and he insisted that social policy should not simply be guided by concepts of struggle and selection in nature."
Abstract This paper focuses on the new evolved state of human beings where we are actually questioning our origins and how we came to be. The paper focuses on the different stages in the evolution of man, providing examples of fossil discoveries to show how humans have changed over time.
From the Paper "With our knowledge of geological processes we are now able to determine the biological and cultural development of the species "Homo sapiens", or human beings. A large number of human fossil bones and teeth have been found at various places throughout the world along with tools of stone, bone, and wood. As a result of these discoveries, a picture of human evolution during the past 4 to 5 million years has emerged."
From the Paper "Paul Ewald's Evolution of Infectious Disease begins with a re-examination of traditional medical approaches to treating and eradicating disease through the ages, comparing and contrasting the time-honored concept of obligate evolution toward commensalism, that is that parasite species or pathogens, over time, will evolve toward a benign state of co-existence with their host. In rejecting this hypothesis, Ewald seeks to show that contrary to this belief, organisms, in fact, tend toward higher rates of virulence within human hosts in order to replicate more quickly, thus insuring better transmission from host to host in spite of the host mortality rate.
To prove his hypothesis, Ewald shows how the effectiveness of vaccines and anti-bacterial drugs can eventually be overcome or evolutionarily bypassed by pathogens such as malaria..."
From the Paper " A number of efforts have been made since the onset of the scientific age toward measuring various traits in order to identify specific characteristics differentiating racial characteristics, often in an attempt to show that certain groups are inferior to the majority Caucasian group. Such "scientific rationality" often tries to prove that such characteristics as intelligence are racially linked, and statistics are developed to show that whites on the average are more intelligent than blacks and that there is a biological basis to differences seen in test scores. Such efforts have been undertaken many times in this century, most recently in the book The Bell Curve, which revived an old debate as to the possibility of proving this sort of theory and the biased nature of intelligence tests. An examination shows that scientific rationality continues to be.."
Abstract This paper goes through several points to show that the newest discovery of schizophrenia's cause--a retrovirus--contradicts the long-held theory of Darwinian Evolution. The paper discusses the latest research which shows that the retrovirus that causes schizophrenia has been in the human genome for millions of years, yet it has remained unchanged; it is triggered at the same frequency and produces the same symptoms. Considering that millions of years of existence within the human genetic system is a sufficient amount of time for change to occur, this is one characteristic of murine leukemia virus genus that directly opposes the laws of evolution as laid out by Darwin. The paper also includes citations and quotations from several notable scientific journals.
From the Paper "Darwin's theory of Evolution has been regarded by scientists for many years as the answer to man's history on Earth. Since Charles Darwin introduced his theory in 1859 with his first work, Origin of Species, controversies over its accuracy have been abundant. Regardless of these controversies, the world of science has implemented Darwin's fundamental principles for over a century. A recent discovery in the world of biopsychology has shown several characteristics that completely contradict this widely accepted view. This discovery is the retrovirus that causes schizophrenia, a severe psychotic psychological disorder. When taking both Darwin's theory and this new discovery into account, one may ask, in what ways does this new discovery contradict the theory of Evolution, a theory many scientists have believed to be true for many years."
Tags: controversy, science, psychotic, Alzheimer?s, Origin, of, Species
From the Paper "Shortly after the publication of Darwin's Origin of Species in 1859, there began a conflict that has been raging to this day. Theologians with their biblical creationism have sought to contest the ideas of biological evolution as stubbornly as scientists have attempted to prove them. While it may seem that the scientists and their theory of evolution, having logic and hard scientific method on their side, have dominated in modern society, the creationists have not given up. With the new development of what is called "creation science," or the attempt to establish a scientific basis for the biblical creation stories, the creationists have managed to regain at least a foothold in the modern scientific world.1 In response to this, there have been several scholars strongly opposing this movement, labeling it a fad and building up a wealth of arguments against ..."
This paper discusses various theories of evolution, then focuses on Charles Darwin's theory. Specifically, the paper explores how his idea of natural selection fits into the scheme of species development.
Abstract The writer explores the topic of species development and the ways in which different theories of evolution have arisen from different mechanisms proposed to be behind the changes in species. Darwin's theory of natural selection answers the question of species develop over time.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Various Historical Theories
Darwinian Evolution
Variation
Natural Selection
Survival of the Fittest
Difficulties of Darwin's Theory
Conclusions
From the Paper "Darwin based his natural selection on the idea that if there were no checking factor, all organisms have to potential to breed their population to quantities that vastly outweigh the numbers actually seen. Since this does not happen, there must exist some factor that limits the population of the species. He explains, in depth, the geometric progression of population growth. Perhaps the most basic example is that of bacteria; each bacteria can divide into two identical bacteria in a matter of hours. We would start with one, which would divide into two, which would divide into four and so one. In a matter of days, millions of bacteria would exist. Animals and plants have the ability to breed in a similar geometric fashion. Yet something keeps populations in check. There are a myriad of reason why a population would be kept in check. The overall title to these checks Darwin assigned was Natural Selection."
Abstract This paper examines Edward J. Larson's "Summer For All the Gods" , a non-fiction account of the famous Scopes monkey trial. The Scopes trial refers to a turn of the century courtroom battle in American history, when a supposed high school teacher named John Scopes was put on trial for violating a Tennessee state law that prohibited the teaching of Darwinian evolutionary theory in the public schools. The paper evaluates how Larson's account presents an historical, unsentimental version of the Scopes trial which is in direct conversation and contrast with how the trial has entered into popular mythology, as a battle between rationality and irrationality, between justice and injustice.
From the Paper "Three central themes drive the Summer for All Gods. First, there is the idea that science is never pure and factual, it is always filtered through politics in the real, lived life of American historical drama. Secondly, Larson must deal with the fact that quite often a historical event, even of recent date can become quickly tainted in the collective American mythological memory as a battle for free speech and justice fought and won, rather than something that continues to be waged in America's present. As a last and third important corollary to the truth versus fiction theme, Larson notes that no courtroom drama ever has one side that is on the side of "truth" purely and simply. It is true that Tennessee's legislature did attempt to prohibit the teaching of evolution in schools. However, this is a practice of ideological management that still takes place today, when states attempt to influence textbook manufactures as to the content of what is included and not included in texts."
