Darwin's Religious Odyssey

Rating:
Summary: Puts a human face on Darwin
Review: Very interesting and readable account of how Darwin's views on religion and evolution developed over the course of his life. As well as being a towering figure in modern science, Darwin was also a highly principled and compassionate person, as this book makes clear. He struggled all his life with the contradiction between the orthodox Christianity he espoused as a young man and the ideas that science inevitably lead him to, and this may have been a factor in his persistent ill health. It is outrageous that a man as brilliant and humble as Darwin has been so villified by ignorant bigots with anti-scientific agendas. Far from being a racist as hypocritical biblical creationsists often claim, Darwin hated racism and slavery, and longed for the day when all men would see each other as brothers:

"As man advances in civilisation, and small tribes are united into larger communities, the simplest reason would tell each individual that he ought to extend his social instincts and sympathies to all the members of the same nation, though personally unknown to him. This point being reached, there is only an artificial barrier to prevent his sympathies extending to the men of all nations and races." (The Descent of Man)

Darwin (and Phipps) also explode the idea that the theory of evolution preaches selfishness and apathy towards one's fellows:

"Darwin thought of humans more as protectors of one another than as predators on one another. When two tribes are in competition, he stated, the one that warns its members of danger and engages in mutual defense is more likely to succeed. The 'fittest' are not necessarily the brawniest, nor even those who sire the most offspring, but those who live cooperatively." (Chapter 6)

The point is also made that a god-magician who must continually interfere with the universe in order to keep it going smoothly is less worthy of worship than one who works indirectly by allowing the full potential of the universe to unfold through scientific law - a point always lost on the biblical creationists. It's a pity that these "creationists" are the people who most need to read this book but are the least likely to do so.