TG:
>>I'd be interested in discussing two recently published books. *Full House=
:
>>The Spread of Excellence from Plato to Darwin* (Harmony >Books, 1996) >by
>Stephen Jay Gould
>
DB:
>I just finished it about 2 weeks ago. It's only the second book by Gould
>that I've read so maybe someone can shed some light on something he said:
>
SJG:
>"Only two options seem logically available in our attempted denial. We
>might, first of all, continue to espouse biblical literalism and insist tha=
t
>the earth is but a few thousand years old, with humans created by God just =
a
>few days after the inception of planetary time. But such mythology is not
>an option for thinking people, who must respect the basic factuality of bot=
h
>time=92s immensity and evolution=92s veracity." -pg. 19
>
DB:
>Does Gould just lump every creationist into the same camp: young earthers?
>Is it the easiest way for him to discredit ANY creationist view?
TG:
Gould has little patience for those who would deny the fact of an old earth
and "the fact of evolution". It does not seem to me that his vehemence
extends to those who attempt to reconcile a Christian faith with these
"facts". So, if you regard EC/TE as a form of creationism, which I do,
then I don't think Gould is necessarily discrediting ANY creationist view.
I think that he would put EC/TE's in the second camp of attempting to
spin-doctor the philosophical implications of evolution (as he sees them)
that we are an accident of history.
I am sure that Gould regards the factuality of evolution to be established
just a certainly as the factuality of an old-earth and thus regards the
doubting of Phil Johnson to be as ridiculous as the doubting of the YEC's.
He unfairly accuses Phil of the YEC position, but in Gould's mind all
thinking people must accept the "basic factuality of both time's immensity
AND evolution's veracity. I cannot say that I'm not sympathetic with Gould
here although I will readily admit (with Gould, I think) that there remains
much to be learned.
Phil Johnson would argue that this is the very thing that makes EC/TE so
tragic. It doesn't ruffle the feathers of the naturalistic establishment,
so they are content to let us believe our little stories about God's role
AS LONG AS HE DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE (i.e. as long as he doesn't appear
anywhere in our theory). But, in my view ruffling the feathers of the
naturalistic establsihment is the goal of theistic science. Just because
SJG or PJ doesn't believe that EC/TE's think God isn't doing anything that
makes a difference doesn't mean that we think that or that He isn't.
As I've said many times on this forum, I can walk with Gould perhaps for
the distance, as long as I see whatever comes to pass under the plan,
purpose, design, and control of God. However it appears to us, even if
involving chance, is beside the point. God is in control whether I can
detect his precise works or not.
SJG:
>
>"=85.as my hypothesis requires in its major contention, variation declines =
so
>powerfully through time and becomes so restricted in later years." -pg. 123
>
DB:
>How do you think 'the evolutionary process' realized it was time to form th=
e
>right side of the bell curve?? :-)
>
I don't really understand this question. Gould's point is that the right
tail is a function of the increased variation in a "full house" with a left
wall of minimal complexity. As variation increases, by chance, a few
organisms will end up in right tail. But since there can't be a left tail,
the evolutionary record will have the appearance of directionality toward
increased complexity. I don't see why you think that Gould thinks that
"the evolutionary process" realizes anything.
If you put what I said above with this notion of chance increase in
variation resulting in increased complexity, all of that can be true and
still have God in absolute control of every detail of the process and its
outcome. Thus from an evolutionary biology point of view Gould may be
absolutely correct. He just fails to recognize God's role in the whole
process.
TG
_____________________________________________________________
Terry M. Gray, Ph.D. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Calvin College 3201 Burton SE Grand Rapids, MI 40546
Office: (616) 957-7187 FAX: (616) 957-6501
Email: grayt@calvin.edu http://www.calvin.edu/~grayt
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