I got talked into seeing Expelled last night, This is the right wing response to the Michael Moore approach to propaganda. Let me say that Ben Stein has out Michael Moored the left. I generally didn't want to go see this but I'm now very glad I did. It was very, very thought provoking.
The premise is that the University systems and science in general is suppressing meaningful dialogue about Evolution as a scientific theory. There are holes in the theory that are not explained and most scientist would agree. However, not a lot of them think Intelligent Design has a shot at filling those. So why the suppression if ID as a solution.
This is where the movie got interesting. He says it's not about the science or lack there of, it's pretty clear that it's about religion and a world view. That this is just one of the battle grounds on going around two opposing world views. One where there is a morality, there is good and evil and a God who set it all up. And there is the world view where there isn't any of that, it's all happening by accident and chance. Good and evil are what we decide. He then shows the cultures that fully embraced that world view and where it led. Russia and Nazi Germany. That was very powerful, he showed how using Darwin, Nazi's used it to justify Euthanasia and Genocide.
Very powerful stuff, I was impressed. It was sobering.
2 comments:
> He says it's not about the science or lack there of, it's pretty clear that it's about religion and a world view.
I'd be interested to see the science that Stein claims supports ID.
> One where there is a morality, there is good and evil and a God who set it all up. And there is the world view where there isn't any of that, it's all happening by accident and chance.
Huh? How does evolution or science equate to lack of morality? And "all happening by accident" is a gross misrepresentation of evolutionary theory.
If anything, population dynamics and game theory have demonstrated many explanations for cooperative behavior at the basis of much morality.
I'd be interested to see the science that Stein claims supports ID.
He doesn't attempt to justify ID as having any real value from a science perspective. He simply says that if smart scientist want to explore it as an idea then they should be allowed. So no real scientific justification.
It doesn't equate evolution or science to a lack of morality. It is being used to justify and suppoort a world view that he feels is very dangerous.
That world view has a strong moral code, however that code is basis for all kinds of atrocities. Communist and Nazi supporter have a strong moral sense. They believe deeply in the rightness of their argument. Richard Dawkins clearly believes deeply in the rightness of his argument. It's that ideas create actions and the ideas being justified through evolution are dangerous.
Post a Comment