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Darwinian Evolution, Intelligent Design, and the Theosophical View - Pablo Sender
Darwinian Evolution, Intelligent Design, and the Theosophical View - Pablo Sender
For the proposed activities section, the group facilitator may want to have available articles from Theosophic and Scientific Views on the website “Evolution: Theosophical Topics in Depth”.
Download handouts
Darwinian Evolution, Intelligent Design, and the Theosophical View
The U.S. National Academy of Sciences has stated that ‘creationism, intelligent design, and other claims of supernatural intervention in the origin of life or of species are not science because they are not testable by the methods of science.’--Science and Creationism: A View from the National Academy of Sciences, 1999.
1- Regardless of your opinions about creationism and intelligent design, what is your reaction to this statement by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences? Do you agree science is basically the knowledge gathered by using the scientific method? Do you see some circular logic here? How do you define science? How do scientists define science?
2- Read sections 1 and 1a in the handout.
“Sir Fred Hoyle says that the odds at arriving at the arrangement of the DNA by a series of accidents via natural selection and random mutations is similar to the odds against throwing five million consecutive sixes on a single die.”—The Theosophist, April 1982, p. 219.
Does anyone remember hearing any sort of qualifying statement like this when learning about evolution? Do you think chance is the force behind evolution? If not, what is it? Do you think your alternative explanation could be accepted by science? Why or why not?
3- Is the goal of evolution physical survival?
“A fact in evolution is that it develops from the homogeneous to the heterogeneous, from simpler to more complex forms. Is survival the most important thing in evolution? The fact is that the more complex a form is, the more difficult to survive. Bacteria are far most successful in surviving than any other species. A global climate change in the planet would eradicate human species but not bacteria. It is said that cockroach and not any mammal would survive to an atomic catastrophe. If the “goal” of evolution were survival, complexity would not appear.” (See handout)
Can you think of any other instances in which simplicity seems to heighten chances of survival? Can you think of any instances in which complexity does increase survival chances? What is/are the main attribute(s) that complex forms have over simpler ones?
4- Read sections 1b and 1c in the handout.
a- Do you think the effort of consciousness to adapt to the environment may influence the development of the vehicles of consciousness (that is, the bodies)?
b- Do you agree that “natural selection cannot account for mathematic, artistic, or musical genius, as well as metaphysic musings, and wit and humour”? If so, why?
5- Read section 1d in the handout. What do you think could be the cause for new species to appear in the “punctuated equilibrium” theory? Do you find any theosophical teaching which could support this theory?
6- Read section 2 in the handout. What are some similarities and differences between the Intelligent Design view of evolution and the Theosophical view of evolution?
7- Do you see any similarities in the varying attempts to explain the enigmatic nature of evolution and the attempts to explain the essential nature of creativity in individual human beings?
Proposed activities
1. Assign individuals in the group a different article from the section Theosophic and Scientific Views from the website “Evolution: Theosophical Topics in Depth”. Hopefully a computer and printer are available or you may want to have these articles printed out beforehand. The articles are short enough that a person can read and summarize them in 30 minutes or so.
2. Each person may give a brief summary of their article and lead a discussion of it in the group.
Resources:
Books
- Bergson, Henri, Creative Evolution, 113 BER CE
- Blavatsky, H. P., Evolution and Intelligent Design in The Secret Doctrine : The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy, T B614Z HAL EID
- Bruteau, Beatrice, Evolution Toward Divinity: Teilhard de Chardin and the Hindu Traditions, 215 BRU ETD
- Darwin, Charles, On the Origin of Species, 575 DAR OOS
- Darwin, Charles, What Darwin Really Said, 575 DAR WDRS
- Davidson, John, Natural Creation or Natural Selection?: A Complete New Theory of Evolution, 113.8 DAV NCN
- Dulchinos, Donald P., Neurosphere: The Convergence of Evolution, Group Mind, and the Internet, 303.4833 DUL N
- Francoeur, Robert T., Evolving World, Converging Man, 111 FRA EWC
- Goswami, Amit, Creative Evolution: A Physicist's Resolution between Darwinism and Intelligent Design, 576.82 GOS CE
- Grof, Stanislav, Human Survival and Consciousness Evolution, 128 HSCE
- Ingalese, Richard, Cosmogony and Evolution, 113 ING CE
- Jozwik, Francis X., Angst & Evolution: The Struggle for Human Potential, 128 JOZ AE
- LaViolette, Paul A., Genesis of the Cosmos: The Ancient Science of Continuous Creation, 113 LAV GC
- Marcus, Gary F., The Birth of the Mind: Wow a Tiny Number of Genes Creates the Complexities of Human Thought, 155.7 MAR BM
- Ornstein, Robert E., The Evolution of Consciousness: of Darwin, Freud, and Cranial Fire: The Origins of the Way We Think, 126 ORN EC
- Osborn, Henry Fairfield, From the Greeks to Darwin: An Outline of the Development of the Evolution Idea, 530.01 OSB FGD
- Sagan, Carl, The Dragons of Eden : Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence, 153 SAG DE
- Schick, Kathy Diane, Making Silent Stones Speak: Human Evolution and the Dawn of Technology, 930.12 SCH MSSS
- Schrödinger, Erwin, What is Life? The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell & Mind and Matter, 501 SCH WLM
- Stringer, Chris, African Exodus: The Origins of Modern Humanity, 599.9 STR AE
- Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre, Christianity and Evolution, 215 TEI CE
- Uspenskiĭ, P. D., The Psychology of Man's Possible Evolution, 120 OUS PMPE
- Watson, James D., DNA : The Secret of Life, 576.5 WAT D
- Williams, George C., The Pony Fish's Glow: And Other Clues to Plan and Purpose in Nature, 576.8 WIL PFG
Sound recordings
(AR: audiocassette; CDA: Compact Disc)
- Ranjan, Belief Becomes Biology, CDA 0345
Videorecordings
(VR: VHS Videocassette)
- Goswami, Amit, Creative Evolution, DVD 0178
For the proposed activities section, the group facilitator may want to have available articles from Theosophic and Scientific Views on the website “Evolution: Theosophical Topics in Depth”.
Download handouts
Darwinian Evolution, Intelligent Design, and the Theosophical View
The U.S. National Academy of Sciences has stated that ‘creationism, intelligent design, and other claims of supernatural intervention in the origin of life or of species are not science because they are not testable by the methods of science.’--Science and Creationism: A View from the National Academy of Sciences, 1999.
1- Regardless of your opinions about creationism and intelligent design, what is your reaction to this statement by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences? Do you agree science is basically the knowledge gathered by using the scientific method? Do you see some circular logic here? How do you define science? How do scientists define science?
2- Read sections 1 and 1a in the handout.
“Sir Fred Hoyle says that the odds at arriving at the arrangement of the DNA by a series of accidents via natural selection and random mutations is similar to the odds against throwing five million consecutive sixes on a single die.”—The Theosophist, April 1982, p. 219.
Does anyone remember hearing any sort of qualifying statement like this when learning about evolution? Do you think chance is the force behind evolution? If not, what is it? Do you think your alternative explanation could be accepted by science? Why or why not?
3- Is the goal of evolution physical survival?
“A fact in evolution is that it develops from the homogeneous to the heterogeneous, from simpler to more complex forms. Is survival the most important thing in evolution? The fact is that the more complex a form is, the more difficult to survive. Bacteria are far most successful in surviving than any other species. A global climate change in the planet would eradicate human species but not bacteria. It is said that cockroach and not any mammal would survive to an atomic catastrophe. If the “goal” of evolution were survival, complexity would not appear.” (See handout)
Can you think of any other instances in which simplicity seems to heighten chances of survival? Can you think of any instances in which complexity does increase survival chances? What is/are the main attribute(s) that complex forms have over simpler ones?
4- Read sections 1b and 1c in the handout.
a- Do you think the effort of consciousness to adapt to the environment may influence the development of the vehicles of consciousness (that is, the bodies)?
b- Do you agree that “natural selection cannot account for mathematic, artistic, or musical genius, as well as metaphysic musings, and wit and humour”? If so, why?
5- Read section 1d in the handout. What do you think could be the cause for new species to appear in the “punctuated equilibrium” theory? Do you find any theosophical teaching which could support this theory?
6- Read section 2 in the handout. What are some similarities and differences between the Intelligent Design view of evolution and the Theosophical view of evolution?
7- Do you see any similarities in the varying attempts to explain the enigmatic nature of evolution and the attempts to explain the essential nature of creativity in individual human beings?
Proposed activities
1. Assign individuals in the group a different article from the section Theosophic and Scientific Views from the website “Evolution: Theosophical Topics in Depth”. Hopefully a computer and printer are available or you may want to have these articles printed out beforehand. The articles are short enough that a person can read and summarize them in 30 minutes or so.
2. Each person may give a brief summary of their article and lead a discussion of it in the group.
Resources:
Books
- Bergson, Henri, Creative Evolution, 113 BER CE
- Blavatsky, H. P., Evolution and Intelligent Design in The Secret Doctrine : The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy, T B614Z HAL EID
- Bruteau, Beatrice, Evolution Toward Divinity: Teilhard de Chardin and the Hindu Traditions, 215 BRU ETD
- Darwin, Charles, On the Origin of Species, 575 DAR OOS
- Darwin, Charles, What Darwin Really Said, 575 DAR WDRS
- Davidson, John, Natural Creation or Natural Selection?: A Complete New Theory of Evolution, 113.8 DAV NCN
- Dulchinos, Donald P., Neurosphere: The Convergence of Evolution, Group Mind, and the Internet, 303.4833 DUL N
- Francoeur, Robert T., Evolving World, Converging Man, 111 FRA EWC
- Goswami, Amit, Creative Evolution: A Physicist's Resolution between Darwinism and Intelligent Design, 576.82 GOS CE
- Grof, Stanislav, Human Survival and Consciousness Evolution, 128 HSCE
- Ingalese, Richard, Cosmogony and Evolution, 113 ING CE
- Jozwik, Francis X., Angst & Evolution: The Struggle for Human Potential, 128 JOZ AE
- LaViolette, Paul A., Genesis of the Cosmos: The Ancient Science of Continuous Creation, 113 LAV GC
- Marcus, Gary F., The Birth of the Mind: Wow a Tiny Number of Genes Creates the Complexities of Human Thought, 155.7 MAR BM
- Ornstein, Robert E., The Evolution of Consciousness: of Darwin, Freud, and Cranial Fire: The Origins of the Way We Think, 126 ORN EC
- Osborn, Henry Fairfield, From the Greeks to Darwin: An Outline of the Development of the Evolution Idea, 530.01 OSB FGD
- Sagan, Carl, The Dragons of Eden : Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence, 153 SAG DE
- Schick, Kathy Diane, Making Silent Stones Speak: Human Evolution and the Dawn of Technology, 930.12 SCH MSSS
- Schrödinger, Erwin, What is Life? The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell & Mind and Matter, 501 SCH WLM
- Stringer, Chris, African Exodus: The Origins of Modern Humanity, 599.9 STR AE
- Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre, Christianity and Evolution, 215 TEI CE
- Uspenskiĭ, P. D., The Psychology of Man's Possible Evolution, 120 OUS PMPE
- Watson, James D., DNA : The Secret of Life, 576.5 WAT D
- Williams, George C., The Pony Fish's Glow: And Other Clues to Plan and Purpose in Nature, 576.8 WIL PFG
Sound recordings
(AR: audiocassette; CDA: Compact Disc)
- Ranjan, Belief Becomes Biology, CDA 0345
Videorecordings
(VR: VHS Videocassette)
- Goswami, Amit, Creative Evolution, DVD 0178
Tags: darwin, evolution, intelligent design, theosophy
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