1. The simple falsehood at the heart of Expelled

Comment #158362 by harrylippy on April 10, 2008 at 11:47 am

philiproulx -

You ask the question, "what prevents us from building our ethical framework on the foundations of evolution, which suggests that we ensure that we are the fittest, and take any means necessary to that end?"

As a previous commentor mentioned, you are talking about eugenics. For example, if Down's Syndrome is detected in a fetus, a eugenical response would be to abort the fetus since it is unfit. Seems easy enough. But it isn't that simple. First of all, we don't have the technology to detect all genetic diseases in the fetus - genetics is a statistical science, there are very few guarantees when it comes to genetic diseases. But even if we could - even if we could predict with 100% accuracy that a baby was going to be born with Down's Syndrome, what if we take the eugenical approach and abort the fetus, only to have a brilliant scientist come up with a cure two years later? (I'm using Down's Syndrome as an example here, but I should make it clear that I am not a medical doctor nor a molecular biologist/geneticist, so if my example breaks down for this particular disease, I apologize - but the argument remains valid, I think).

The short answer, for me, to your question would be this - we don't engage in eugenics because it is morally wrong to do so. Evolution, as a process, is extraordinarily brutal - read any of Dawkin's examples of paracitism in The Extended Phenotype for a few examples, and there are millions. It is, in effect, inhumane - it doesn't have a conscience, it doesn't "root" for one side or the other. We, as humans (at least most of us) ARE humane - we CARE about even the weakest of our species, and we seek to make their life as high quality as possible; WE are judged by how we treat our weakest. To use evolution as a guidebook for morality would be disastrous - indeed, it is (one of) the strawman that many creationists construct in arguments against evolutionists.

Shaun

PS - I am reminded of a eugenics talk I attended last year here in Chicago, and one of the speakers made the (sort of flippant) comment that "anybody who has been turned down for a date has been a victim of eugenics".

2. Happy Birthday, Richard Dawkins!

Comment #150242 by harrylippy on March 26, 2008 at 3:51 pm

Happy 67th! The prime numbered years are always the best, so I'll be expecting some "prime" contributions in the coming year!