Wallace vs. Darwin (Introduction)

by dhw, Saturday, April 13, 2013, 13:12 (4038 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: A fascinating discussion. Wallace believed in teleology behind evolution. And it raises the issue so beloved to me: because of our consciousness we are different in kind from primates and Darwinism blurs that distinction.-http://www.evolutionnews.org/2013/04/what_would_a_wo070971.htm-I got on to this article yesterday, but today I can't find it! I remember seeing a sentence to the effect that when a theistic interpretation of his theory was offered to Darwin, he was very enthusiastic. As atheists never acknowledge, he was always at pains to point out that his theory was NOT incompatible with religion. However, the impression I'm left with was that the whole "what if" scenario was a bit silly. I found the references to social Darwinism irritating. The fact that a scientific theory has been used to underpin horrific practices is no more Darwin's fault than it's the fault of Jesus or Muhammad that their followers go about killing people who disagree with them. However, this may be an unfair criticism, as it's based on memory of a quick reading.-What I'd really like to comment on, David, is the link between your comment above and a sentence you quoted from the article: "It could well be argued that Darwinian evolution has actually contributed to confusion on the subject of human psychology and mind by stressing animal/human continuities and encouraging a plethora of poorly designed studies loaded with unwarranted anthropomorphisms concerning animal behavior."-I don't know any of the studies he's referring to, but I do know that vast areas of human-like behaviour in animals are far from being anthropomorphisms, since we are the evolutionary latecomers. Humans learned and inherited patterns of behaviour from their primate ancestors, and many of these patterns are also to found in animals other than primates. Under "The difference of Man" on 4 April at 9.25, I got my new friend Professor Pansy Chim to tell us all a few home truths about ourselves. The extract from her treatise ended: 
"My conclusion is that very few humans are capable of learning our language. This may be due to lack of intelligence, or it may be due to the fact that they are unwilling to recognize themselves as part of the animal kingdom. (See also the chapters on sex, family life, social life, tools, empathy, emotion, humour, hunting, games, war and peace.)-I would suggest that Darwinian evolution tells us a great deal about "the subject of human psychology and mind", and at least as much confusion (not to mention cruelty) is caused by those who fail to recognize our affinities with our fellow creatures.