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False Messiah

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Image credit: Frank Hurley, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Paradigm Lost: Darwinism and the Idea of Human Progress

The notion of progress is now of course increasingly questioned, especially after what has come to be known as “the calamitous 20th century.” Read More ›
medium tree finch
Photo: Medium tree finch, by Jody O'Connor, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Myth and Legend in Darwin’s Famous Origins Story

Neil Thomas makes a case that the rise of Darwin’s theory owes much to cultural timing, philosophical appeal, and persuasive storytelling. Read More ›
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Image credit: Charles Darwin, 1837, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Darwin’s Doubts, and Their Philosophical Implications

Charles Darwin thus appears to us more modern than his present-day disciples, whose unbending materialism comes closer to that of Erasmus Darwin. Read More ›
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Image: Victorian London street scene, by Frederick Smith, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

“The Monster in the Sky”: Revisiting Atheism’s Creation Myth

The fact that Darwin’s evolutionary ideas could not be shown to be scientifically coherent remained for the uncritical a side issue. Read More ›
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Photo credit: Fredrik Andreasson from Sweden, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Tiled Beauty: Functional Aesthetics in Biology

Tessellated patterns are surprisingly prevalent in biology. Are these forms necessary for function, or mere consequences of natural laws?  Read More ›
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Image Credit: Eni - Adobe Stock.

Interoception: An Emerging Design Concept in Biology

We’ve heard of proprioception, the awareness of our limbs in space and time, but interoception is a companion sense. Read More ›
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Charles Darwin observing wildlife in the Galápagos Islands, surrounded by lush flora and fauna, including giant tortoises, birds, and exotic plants, symbolizing evolution
Image Credit: M.studio - Adobe Stock

He Taught Darwinism for Decades (Then Changed His Mind)

English Romantic poet William Wordsworth provided a philosophical barrier against reductionist views of life like those of Darwin. Read More ›
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Charles Robert Darwin bust sculpture, English naturalist, geologist, and biologist. Generative AI
Image Credit: NorLife - Adobe Stock

Neil Thomas on the Internal Flaws and Historical Roots of Darwinism

It might surprise you to learn that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection did not triumph on scientific grounds alone. Read More ›
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statue of charles darwin
Image Credit: Nick - Adobe Stock

Darwin’s Doubts: A Scientist Betrayed by His Own Followers

I will argue that employing Darwin in this way is false twice over: First, it is not what Darwin made himself out to be. Read More ›
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Silhouette of ape under a starry sky with trees framing the scene in a dark and dreamy setting
Image Credit: niluksha - Adobe Stock

False Messiah: An Addendum on Darwin and Theism

The standpoint of poet John Keats is certainly gaining resonance in our doubt-ridden 21st century. I for one welcome its openness to questioning and wonder. Read More ›

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