From: Gary Collins (gwcollins@algol.co.uk)
Date: Fri Nov 07 2003 - 14:00:50 EST
Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2003 19:16:24 -0000
From: "Michael Roberts" <michael.andrea.r@ukonline.co.uk>
I am afraid to say that Darwin's views were not "> reductionist, atheistic,
and chance-oriented. " as you claim. He was never an atheist and hovered
between some kind of theism and agnosticism. It helps to read his books,
notebooks and correspondence.
-----------------
Hi Michael,
My understanding is that Darwin's loss of faith to agnosticism was not
due to his theory of evolution nor to any of his work as a scientist, but
rather arose because he lost his favourite daughter to an illness, and
as a result became bitter and unable to accept that a loving God would
allow his daughter to die. Is this right?
I have heard it suggested that his reference to the creator at the end of
Origin was mainly an aside to placate the church (or the academia who
were rather more tied up with the church then than would be the case
today, and would be sitting in judgement on his work).
And that his reluctance in publishing was not because he was
unconvinced by his own theory but rather wishing to avoid the kind of
reception and opposition that Chambers' Vestiges met with.
Is this pretty close to the mark? Or way wide of it?
/Gary
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Fri Nov 07 2003 - 09:45:43 EST