Darwin and Design : Does Evolution Have a Purpose?

Rating:
Summary: Good Synthesis
Review: Another interesting and well written book by Michael Ruse. In this book, Ruse explores the nature and role of teleological thinking about the natural world in the development of evolutionary theory. As well, he investigates the status of teleological thinking related to the natural world in relation to theology. In a shorthand way, this is concise history and commentary on the famous argument from design, one of the classis 'proofs' of the existence of a beneficient deity. Ruse decomposes the argument from design into 2 components, the argument to complexity and the argument to design. The former is a conclusion that aspects of the biological world have elements of goal directed function, analogous to conscious design. The latter argument is then that the existence of purposeful complexity is evidence for a deity.
Ruse provides a nice, concise history of different aspects of these arguments, starting with Plato and Aristotle, and moving through major Christian theologians. He then moves into the major skeptical assaults on the argument from design using Hume as the paradigmatic thinker, and the responses of a variety of thinkers, including the English theologian Paley and Kant.
Ruse provides a nice analysis of how concerns with the argument to complexity and the complete argument from design informed and inspired the search for greater understanding of the living world. This culminates, somewhat ironically, in Darwin and Wallace's discovery of the ideas of evolution and selective forces driving evolution. Not surprisingly, given Ruse's stature as an excellent historian of biology, he provides a really nice concise history of the development of Darwin's ideas and carries the story of the ups and downs of the importance of selectionist ideas into the 20th century. This is very well done. Ruse is also particularly good on some aspects of 19th century philosophy of science and theology, particularly Anglican theology, which are intertwined with the development of evolutionary theory in interesting ways.
Ruse ends up with a fairly orthodox, Darwin based view of the argument from design. The argument to complexity is affirmed based on natural selection but the argument to design is firmly but gently thrown into the garbage.
The book concludes with a section on the reconciliation of Christion (or theistic beliefs in general) with a scientifically valid view of nature. Ruse's usually solid grasp of logic slips here somewhat. It is not particularly convincing, and unlike most of his work, is not written clearly.

Rating:
Summary: Good Synthesis
Review: Another interesting and well written book by Michael Ruse. In this book, Ruse explores the nature and role of teleological thinking about the natural world in the development of evolutionary theory. As well, he investigates the status of teleological thinking related to the natural world in relation to theology. In a shorthand way, this is concise history and commentary on the famous argument from design, one of the classis 'proofs' of the existence of a beneficient deity. Ruse decomposes the argument from design into 2 components, the argument to complexity and the argument to design. The former is a conclusion that aspects of the biological world have elements of goal directed function, analogous to conscious design. The latter argument is then that the existence of purposeful complexity is evidence for a deity.
Ruse provides a nice, concise history of different aspects of these arguments, starting with Plato and Aristotle, and moving through major Christian theologians. He then moves into the major skeptical assaults on the argument from design using Hume as the paradigmatic thinker, and the responses of a variety of thinkers, including the English theologian Paley and Kant.
Ruse provides a nice analysis of how concerns with the argument to complexity and the complete argument from design informed and inspired the search for greater understanding of the living world. This culminates, somewhat ironically, in Darwin and Wallace's discovery of the ideas of evolution and selective forces driving evolution. Not surprisingly, given Ruse's stature as an excellent historian of biology, he provides a really nice concise history of the development of Darwin's ideas and carries the story of the ups and downs of the importance of selectionist ideas into the 20th century. This is very well done. Ruse is also particularly good on some aspects of 19th century philosophy of science and theology, particularly Anglican theology, which are intertwined with the development of evolutionary theory in interesting ways.
Ruse ends up with a fairly orthodox, Darwin based view of the argument from design. The argument to complexity is affirmed based on natural selection but the argument to design is firmly but gently thrown into the garbage.
The book concludes with a section on the reconciliation of Christion (or theistic beliefs in general) with a scientifically valid view of nature. Ruse's usually solid grasp of logic slips here somewhat. It is not particularly convincing, and unlike most of his work, is not written clearly.

Rating:
Summary: Blueprints or blundering?
Review: Darwin's great insight was the discovery that Nature isn't operating to a plan. For over two millennia, Western European thinkers, whether secular or religious, had contended otherwise. Nature, they claimed, whether divinely guided or not, exhibited the effect of instituted, unwavering patterns - the result of "design". Eyes, hands, the arrangement of flower petals were too complex to have occurred by chance, it was thought. Christian monotheists enshrined this view within religious dogma. Darwin's revolutionary Idea challenged that concept at its roots, thus toppling all established opinion. The Idea, refuting theologians and philosophers alike, became Dangerous. As Ruse points out, the traditional argument is still being used to contest Darwin's great insight into the driving force of life.

In this superbly conceived and crafted survey of the traditions and their overthrow, Ruse again proves his worth both as a scholar and a writer. From Plato through Kant, from Descartes to Darwin, we are provided a tour of how humans have viewed Nature over many centuries. The examples are endless - the eye, the hand, the awesome variety of flowering plants all seem to exhibit something behind their structure. Ruse examines the result of "new" science challenging old dogmas during the Enlightenment. He shows how the reconciliation of evidence with faith became known as "natural theology". In other words, nature's wonders were evidence of the god's plan. Ruse follows the course of the reasoning of the adherents of "nature by design" up to the present. The opening chapters of this book are presented so skillfully it seems he is endorsing the traditional view. Nothing could be more mistaken. In one stroke, Darwin overthrew those dogmas and Ruse can present Darwin's impact like few others.

Darwin demonstrated that what we see around us is a "snapshot" of natural history. Our view sees the result of ages of natural selection. Even with this great insight, Darwin lacked the information explaining the mechanics of natural selection. How did "modification with descent" [Darwin's preferred usage] work down the generations. Although natural selection underwent a brief regression with the re-discovery of Mendel's genetics, it revived with enhanced force in the 1930s. Ronald Fisher's mathematical analysis demonstrated how to integrate natural selection with genetics to found what is now known as "neo-Darwinism". The revelation of DNA's structure consolidated that merger, leaving natural selection stronger than ever.

The idea of "design" in nature retains a rearguard force of snipers still asserting an "intelligent designer". Ruse presents the ideas of Behe, Dembski and Johnson in their assault on natural selection. He delicately analyses their arguments and logic. Then, he gently but firmly consigns their ill-founded proposals to the historical rubbish heap. They, unlike Kant or Descartes, have the evidence before them, either discounting or avoiding it. Ruse's sense of decency restrains his judgment where others have been more scathing in their denunciation of the delusions of the ID mob. He's to be commended for his articulate restraint.

Although a running theme of this book is something termed Natural Theology", the attempt to merge nature with a divinity, Ruse proposes something different in conclusion. He wants us to adopt a more reverent approach to the wonders of nature. A fresh look at what nature can offer us all leads him to suggest a "theology of nature". The similarity of terms mustn't blind the reader in recognizing that "nature" is the object of worship here. It's a fitting proposal from a man who has built a reputation for linking science and philosophy. A series of books has established his outlook, and this one is his finest work. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Rating:
Summary: Blueprints or blundering?
Review: Darwin's great insight was the discovery that Nature isn't operating to a plan. For over two millennia, Western European thinkers, whether secular or religious, had contended otherwise. Nature, they claimed, whether divinely guided or not, exhibited the effect of instituted, unwavering patterns - the result of "design". Eyes, hands, the arrangement of flower petals were too complex to have occurred by chance, it was thought. Christian monotheists enshrined this view within religious dogma. Darwin's revolutionary Idea challenged that concept at its roots, thus toppling all established opinion. The Idea, refuting theologians and philosophers alike, became Dangerous. As Ruse points out, the traditional argument is still being used to contest Darwin's great insight into the driving force of life.

In this superbly conceived and crafted survey of the traditions and their overthrow, Ruse again proves his worth both as a scholar and a writer. From Plato through Kant, from Descartes to Darwin, we are provided a tour of how humans have viewed Nature over many centuries. The examples are endless - the eye, the hand, the awesome variety of flowering plants all seem to exhibit something behind their structure. Ruse examines the result of "new" science challenging old dogmas during the Enlightenment. He shows how the reconciliation of evidence with faith became known as "natural theology". In other words, nature's wonders were evidence of the god's plan. Ruse follows the course of the reasoning of the adherents of "nature by design" up to the present. The opening chapters of this book are presented so skillfully it seems he is endorsing the traditional view. Nothing could be more mistaken. In one stroke, Darwin overthrew those dogmas and Ruse can present Darwin's impact like few others.

Darwin demonstrated that what we see around us is a "snapshot" of natural history. Our view sees the result of ages of natural selection. Even with this great insight, Darwin lacked the information explaining the mechanics of natural selection. How did "modification with descent" [Darwin's preferred usage] work down the generations. Although natural selection underwent a brief regression with the re-discovery of Mendel's genetics, it revived with enhanced force in the 1930s. Ronald Fisher's mathematical analysis demonstrated how to integrate natural selection with genetics to found what is now known as "neo-Darwinism". The revelation of DNA's structure consolidated that merger, leaving natural selection stronger than ever.

The idea of "design" in nature retains a rearguard force of snipers still asserting an "intelligent designer". Ruse presents the ideas of Behe, Dembski and Johnson in their assault on natural selection. He delicately analyses their arguments and logic. Then, he gently but firmly consigns their ill-founded proposals to the historical rubbish heap. They, unlike Kant or Descartes, have the evidence before them, either discounting or avoiding it. Ruse's sense of decency restrains his judgment where others have been more scathing in their denunciation of the delusions of the ID mob. He's to be commended for his articulate restraint.

Although a running theme of this book is something termed Natural Theology", the attempt to merge nature with a divinity, Ruse proposes something different in conclusion. He wants us to adopt a more reverent approach to the wonders of nature. A fresh look at what nature can offer us all leads him to suggest a "theology of nature". The similarity of terms mustn't blind the reader in recognizing that "nature" is the object of worship here. It's a fitting proposal from a man who has built a reputation for linking science and philosophy. A series of books has established his outlook, and this one is his finest work. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Rating:
Summary: On Darwin and Design
Review: Evolutionary philosopher Michael Ruse has given us some interesting and challenging books, like "Mystery of Mysteries" and "Taking Darwin Seriously". This is not one of them.

Ruse tracks the concept of teleology (or, direction) in pre-evolutionary and evolutionary thought. I share the below reviewers sentiments that the history he gives is a very compressed one and was pretty rushed. We jump from Plato and Aristotle to Kant to Darwin to Gould all in a matter of chapters and Ruse isn't very thorough about any of them (well, except for Darwin). Ruse came off like a track-star so focused on getting to the finish line she forgets how to keep a steady pace.

One would also have thought that we'd go beyond history; either focusing more on the current climate of the escalating Gouldian v. Dawkinian approach or even focusing on some of the theoretical difficulties that scientists face when having to conjecture on teleology. In fairness, we do get a bit of the latter in the second-to-last chapter but in proportion to the historical chapters, it was dissapointingly cursory.

The chapter on Intellegent Design, though, is a bang as Ruse brings the concepts of teleology - evolution style - into ID and examines how people like William Dembski and Michael Behe handle the concept.

I still gave it three stars for clarity of writing, overall interest (so long as you're expecting a history; not expecting conceptual discussion), and the difficulty of subject matter and how well Ruse handles it. Also read "God's Funeral" by A.N. Wilson and "In Search of Human Nature" by Carl Degler.

Rating:
Summary: Darwin and Design: creative tension in science
Review: Michael Ruse book is a valid contribution to the understanding of the debate that currently surrounds evolution and intelligent design. If Richard Dawkins can say that scientific evidence shows a universe without design, it is only fair that those scientists who disagree with this claim can refute it on equal terms. If Richard Dawkins can say that evolution allows him to be an intellectually fulfilled atheist, it is only fair that other scientists may say that intelligent design or biblical creationism allows them to be intellectually fulfilled theists or deists. If Richard Dawkins can use "bad design" as evidence of evolution, it is only fair that other scientists may use good design and extremely good design as evidence of creation. I think that instead of making this debate a very nasty one, on the basis of outdated naturalistic and materialistic assumptions, all scientists should explore the creative tension and competition it generates, and make the most out of it. After all, the BBC News recently reported that in England the best scientific papers came from a school where evolutionism and creationism were taught on an equal basis, and because of this fact more schools will be teaching both perspectives in England (in spite of Dawkins oposition, who else?).

Rating:
Summary: The infinite loop of the Darwin debate
Review: The sense of design in nature, and evolution, is an issue that might prosper better anywhere but in a monotheistic and/or a Darwinian culture. For the debate over design, which has gone on too long and is really a stalemate, is more a battle over religious or secular foundations of culture, in which misleading or specious arguments on both sides constantly confuse the issue. The 'design sense', if not the argument by design, is a primordial intuition, impossible to avoid, clearly evident in Heraclitus, who wasn't a Southern Baptist, and not yet stultified by the sophistries on both sides of this question. The point is that Heraclitus clearly groped for the middle ground beyond Zeus, something like 'logos', he was fishing for words.
Would we were still so fresh in our perceptions. There is no escape from this 'design sense', for example, as we examine the stupendous complexity and developmental subtlety of biochemical structures. Couldn't the profession at least stop deceiving students to the degree of admitting this might be the result of a complex system, a point made by such as Kauffman in At Home in the Universe? Too much to hope for.
This interesting but self-limiting new work by M. Ruse,which is a useful read, reviewing the history of the issue from the ancients to Darwin and successors, declares early on, as proven, its stubborn allegiance to the bone of contention, the efficacy of natural selection as the mechanism of evolution. That freezes the argument from the beginning, and illustrates the concealed metaphysical derivation at work in most biological thought on evolution, where the final desired conclusion is made the first assumption. I fear the result is to go around in circles, even though the tale of the nineteenth century development of biology remains interesting. One can understand the care, and not a little defensiveness, Darwinists wish to bring to their heritage of revolt against the world of Paley, but it should be a simple matter to acknowledge the limitations of natural selection, acknowledge the 'design sense' without exploiting it as the 'argument by design' and proceeding with no more than a partial claim to the nature of evolution. But no such luck.

I think Ruse unwittingly shows the difficulty early on in the book where he lumps the philosopher Kant together with Paley. But Kant has no business being given this treatment, and in many ways went to the heart of the problem in the progression of his thought from a 'critique of reason' to a 'critique of teleological (and esthetic) judgement'. The Darwin debate, as his work prophetically foretells, is stuck in the loop of the 'antinomy of teleological judgement', and this dialectical infinite loop has gone since the beginnning, and is the one thing that even brilliant scientists might get wrong, in case we fall for the claim that so many Nobel prizers can't be wrong.
It is a pity Kant has been sidelined here. And a scandal. The Kant profession is so intimidated that no reply to this nonsense will be forthcoming, Darwinian philosophers simply get a free hand. The point is that Kant shows the way to distinguishing divinity from nature, and a cautious way to deal with teleological questions in nature, without bringing in theology. And the early nineteenth century biologists before Darwin had a thriving research tradition in this vein, one that Darwin did not truly rebut.
Anyway, the book is breezily interesting in its own way, and has a summary of the recent 'intelligent design'movement brouhaha. But the intelligent design wing is too sneaky to be trusted, ditto the Darwinists. Perhaps the subject should be exported to a non-Christian country that has never heard of Darwin, then we might get somewhere. Tierra Del Fuego?