Darwin Day In America: How Our Politics and Culture Have Been Dehumanized in the Name of Science [Hardcover]

Dr. John G. West (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 6, 2007

At the dawn of the last century, leading scientists and politicians giddily predicted that science—especially Darwinian biology—would supply solutions to all the intractable problems of American society, from crime to poverty to sexual maladjustment.

 

Instead, politics and culture were dehumanized as scientific experts began treating human beings as little more than animals or machines. In criminal justice, these experts denied the existence of free will and proposed replacing punishment with invasive “cures” such as the lobotomy. In welfare, they proposed eliminating the poor by sterilizing those deemed biologically unfit. In business, they urged the selection of workers based on racist theories of human evolution and the development of advertising methods to more effectively manipulate consumer behavior. In sex education, they advocated creating a new sexual morality based on “normal mammalian behavior” without regard to longstanding ethical and religious imperatives.

 

Based on extensive research with primary sources and archival materials, John G. West’s captivating Darwin Day in America tells the story of how American public policy has been corrupted by scientistic ideology. Marshaling fascinating anecdotes and damning quotations, West’s narrative explores the far-reaching consequences for society when scientists and politicians deny the essential differences between human beings and the rest of nature. It also exposes the disastrous results that ensue when experts claiming to speak for science turn out to be wrong. West concludes with a powerful plea for the restoration of democratic accountability in an age of experts.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John G. West lives and works in the Seattle and Auburn, WA area. He is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute and associate director of the institute’s Center for Science and Culture. Formerly the chairman of the Department of Political Science and Geography at Seattle Pacific University, Dr. West holds a Ph.D. in government from Claremont Graduate University. He has been interviewed frequently by the national media, including Time, Newsweek, and the New York Times, and has appeared on CNN, Fox News, and C-SPAN.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 450 pages
• Publisher: Intercollegiate Studies Institute (November 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933859326
• ISBN-13: 978-1933859323
• Product Dimensions: 1.3 x 6.3 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #199,874 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A native of the great Pacific Northwest, I'm currently a Senior Fellow of the Discovery Institute, which is perhaps best known for its work supporting the theory of intelligent design as an alternative to neo-Darwinism, although it has programs in many other areas as well. My special interests include the impact of modern science on politics and social policy, the role of faith in public life, and the writings of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. My current research examines how neo-Darwinism and scientific materialism shaped American public policy and culture from the end of the nineteenth century to the present. For 12 years I was a political science professor at Seattle Pacific University, where I also chaired the Department of Political Science and Geography for several years. I earned my Ph.D in Government from Claremont Graduate University and my B.A. in Communications (Editorial Journalism) from the University of Washington. I've authored or edited several books, and contributed essays to a number of others. Over the past few years I've had the opportunity to interact with the national newsmedia on the evolution issue quite a lot, and you can often find my observations on the quality of media coverage on the 'Evolution News and Views' blog, www.evolutionnews.org.

I'm a bit of a contrarian by nature, and I also like siding with the powerless and the underdog. When the establishment insists 'Go this way,' I am likely to ask 'Why?' When I get pushed, I tend to push back. That's one reason I was attracted to the nascent intelligent design movement in the mid 1990s. I was intrigued by the fact that a growing number of recent PhDs in the sciences were questioning neo-Darwinism based on science, not faith, and were facing harsh recriminations as a result. I thought then--and still believe now--that people should have the freedom to raise uncomfortable questions and champion unpopular truths.

My heroes from the past are people like Jeremiah Evarts, who stood up for the rights of the Cherokee in nineteenth century America (I tell his story in chapter 4 of my book The Politics of Revelation and Reason); Frederick Douglass and Harriett Beecher Stowe, who helped persuade Americans about the injustice of slavery; and C.S. Lewis, who was one of the few equal-opportunity critics of both communism and fascism in the early 1930s (my thoughts about Lewis can be found in The C. S. Lewis Readers' Encyclopedia, which I co-edited). One of my favorite quotes on the importance of speaking out comes from Martin Luther King, Jr.: 'Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.'

Although I'm generally 'conserative,' I'm a strong believer in civil liberties, and I'm skeptical of some of the tactics adopted in the name of fighting crime and terrorism. I am also an enthusiastic believer in religious liberty and free speech. I think the best way for people to spread their ideas is through unhampered discussion, not government coercion.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 51 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly Researched with Vital Conclusions January 4, 2008

By Rados Miksa

Format:Hardcover

To start with, I found this book to be highly researched with almost one hundred pages of footnotes. This, in and of itself, was an encouraging sign, although not a definitive assurance of quality. However, as I read through the book, its quality, interest and readability was clearly demonstrated and Mr. West should be proud of his accomplishment. Before continuing any further, it should be noted that I approached this book (and the many other books on similar subjects) as a lay person with a Masters of Arts and nothing more. Take that are what it is worth, but the caveat was needed prior to continuing.

The book is essentially 350 pages of well-cited and sourced examples (many horrific - like certain proponents of scientific sexual materialism stating that rape or child molestation are simply natural forms of sexual expression or that the severely mentally retarded, because of reduced higher brain function, should be regarded as already dead, even though living and breathing, and should be killed via lethal injection to be used as organ donors) that provide credence and substantiation for its conclusion, which, being the vital portion of the book, are that past and current scientific materialism and the social Darwinism from which it is stems and supports, when used as the only, final and unquestionable source for decision-making, leads to the following:
1. Technocracy: If scientific materialism is all there is, then clearly scientists know best and we should refer decision-making to them, regardless of the fact that they are just as capable of bias, error and human weakness. Essentially, we are replacing one type of preacher with another, regardless that science can and has been wrong in the past.

2. Forced Utopianism: Since materialism is the only truth and all can be reduced to its material essence, then science, through forced sterilization, euthanasia and eugenics can lead us to a Utopian paradise.

3. Dehumanization: If humans are simply material, then do we define person-hood through brain function? Higher brain function? If so, should we consider those that have no or lose higher brain function as no longer being persons? Should the severely mentally disabled or those in a vegetative state be no longer be considered persons and just slabs of meat to be harvested for their organs?

4. Relativism: As the only standard of morality from materialism is dictated by survival, then that which promotes survival for a society or person at a specific time and place is changeable to suit whatever that survivability may be believed to be required at during a certain time or place.

5. Stifling Free Speech: Those that unquestionably accept scientific materialism to the expense of all else argue with anyone that questions them to the point of fanaticism. No questioning or debate of the accepted theory is accepted, no matter how credible or relevant the question might be. And this, regardless of the fact that scientists are trained to debate, question and review new evidence or information.

Note: Some comments from other reviews have stated that the majority of the book concerns the arguments for Intelligent Design. This is not so. Intelligent Design arguments take up less then 30 pages of a 370 pg. book and deal primarily in the section of 'Schools and Scholars' - meaning, quite obviously, the debate of teaching evolution in schools. However, it should be noted that Mr. West's arguments are not that evolution or Intelligent Design should or should not be taught, but rather that the hard-line proponents of Darwinian evolution not only prevent any discussion on its weaknesses, but use character assassination and other non-relevant, low-blow tactics to discredit those that question their 'unquestionable' ideas. Thus, it is not so much a defence of Intelligent Design, but an example of how free of speech and free of ideas by other credible scientists can be suppressed by those that disagree with their different conclusions. This, in turn, shows just how much these scientists, that are meant to question, debate and explore ideas, can be just as closed-minded, biased, adversarial and dangerous as the less-enlightened masses (politicians, religious leaders, common person, etc.) even though they are supposed to be trained in just the opposite and maintain an open mind.

The main point that I took from this book is that anyone, scientists or not, that are absolutely and unquestionably certain of their beliefs are a danger to society just as assuredly as religious zealots are. In the end, scientific theories are exactly that - theories that can shift, change and adapt as we learn more and more.

In summary, I will end with what I found to be the most chilling quote from the book (pg. 366, Para. 1):

"America's experience with the dehumanizing effects of scientific materialism was far from exceptional. The three regimes of the twentieth century best known for being founded explicitly on the principles of scientific materialism - Soviet Russia, Nazi Germany, and Communist China - are all remembered for their horrific brutality rather than any advancement of human dignity."

If you have any questions or comments about my review, please let me know. Thank you.

RD Miksa

***I apologize for any grammatical errors or omissions.

32 of 46 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A very important work January 29, 2008

By William Muehlenberg VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

`Social Darwinism' is a term which refers to the social and political ramifications of biological Darwinism and the materialism which it is imbedded in. Darwin regarded humans as basically higher animals, and as the social sciences became more and more tinged by the Darwinian outlook, humans increasingly began to be treated as mere animals, or machines.

This volume looks at how the materialistic worldview of Darwinism has impacted on a wide range of fields. As academics, scientists and politicians apply the Darwinian view of man to various social sciences, some very negative outcomes have ensued. We have steadily become dehumanised and depersonalised as we have taken on board the logical implications of evolutionary materialism.

West offers a far-reaching and profound look at numerous areas clouded by the Darwinist mindset. He examines the fields of law, education, business, economics, sociology and ethics to see how the revolutionary ideas of Darwin have penetrated every aspect of Western culture. Scientific materialism, flowing forth from Darwin and the Neo-Darwinists, today underpins much of public policy in the West.

Consider how extensive scientific materialism has become in public life. The title of this book refers to the move to make February 12 Darwin Day in the US, a date usually associated with the birth of Abraham Lincoln. But so great has the influence and impact of Darwin's ideas become that he has now risen to the status of a secular saint in many quarters.

West is certainly right to argue just how far and deep the influence of Darwin has been. Consider the issue of crime and punishment. For much of human history crime was about punishment and restitution, based on the belief that humans had free will and were morally responsible for their actions.

But with the advent of Darwin - in part - academics and elites increasingly began to view humans as simply animals who needed treatment, not punishment. After all, if we are simply the products of our biology, how can we be held accountable for our actions? Such thinking flows directly out of Darwin's materialistic account of evolution.

Thus Clarence Darrow, for example, took materialistic Darwinism to its logical conclusion and argued that criminals are basically programmed by material forces. If men are simply machines, powerfully determined by their heredity and background, then crime and punishment must be radically redefined.

Crime began to be studied not only in terms of one's biology, but also in psychosocial terms. Crime was seen as a mental illness, not wilful immorality. Criminals came to be seen as victims, and punishment was replaced with rehabilitation and therapy. If crime is just an illness, then cure, not punishment, was required.

West also reminds us that the ugly eugenics movement also flowed very nicely out of the Darwinian worldview. Eugenics was the idea that man could "take control of his own evolution by breeding a better race". The father of the eugenics movement, Francis Galton, happened to be a cousin of Darwin, and was inspired by The Origin of the Species to "improve" the human race.

Of course the rest of the title of that book reads, The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. People like Margaret Sanger - who founded Planned Parenthood - simply took all this to its logical conclusion. Compulsory sterilisation of the "unfit", lobotomies, electric shock treatments and other coercive measures were all features of the eugenics movement. And it found its fullest and most ghastly expression in the Nazi death camps.

West shows how the materialism of Darwinism leads to the Nazi worldview. Hitler argued that eugenics had a scientific basis, and that race betterment was a result of the biological principles articulated by Darwin. Indeed, the three great genocidal regimes of last century - Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia and Communist China - were all firmly grounded on the principles of scientific materialism.

Mention can also be made of Alfred Kinsey and the radical sex education movement which also finds its roots in the Darwinian view of humanity. West covers this in sordid detail, along with other contentious social issues of the day. For example, some evolutionary psychologists are now arguing that rape and adultery can be fully explained, if not excused, on a biological basis. All sexually deviant behaviour is simply the outworking of our evolutionary adaptation and programming. Kinsey sought to scientifically justify all sexualities, including bestiality and paedophilia.

West makes a solid case for how all such ugly social and cultural radicalism finds solid ideological grounding in the ideas of Darwin. For too long there have been apologists for Darwin who have sought to argue that a large gulf looms between the biological ideas of Darwin and Social Darwinism. West very capably demonstrates that there is in fact very little distance between the two.

Ideas have consequences, and bad ideas have bad consequences. West superbly makes the case that Darwin had plenty of bad ideas, and we are seeing plenty of ugly consequences today as a result. This very important book deserves to be widely read and discussed.

45 of 67 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book cannot be Ignored November 21, 2007

By The Professor

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This new book by Professor John West is, in my judgment, his best by far. His theme is, if Neo-Darwinism is true, this has profound implications for not only society but all human activities from the obvious one, religion, to sexual norms, economics and even corrections. Neo-Darwinism is defined as progression from molecules to humans by way of the living world caused by natural selection selecting genetic variety ultimately produced by mutations (copying errors). West carefully, and with almost 100 paged of footnotes in small print (page 377-472), documents his conclusions. West has shown the critically important influence of the ideas of Darwin's cousin Sir Francis Galton F.R.S. (1822-1911), especially the idea of eugenics (conclusions that Darwin stated he agreed with, not because he wanted to keep the family peace (he strongly disagreed with Galton on topics such as the core mechanism of evolution), but because, as is clear from his own writings, he sincerely believed Galton was correct. Fundamentalist Darwinists may go spastic over the material on eugenics in West's book, but dozens of books and peer reviewed journal articles have well documented this event of history and West's conclusions cannot be denied. West also covers the infamous and irresponsible Kinsey sex research in a well done chapter titled Junk Science in the Bedroom, documenting how critical Darwinism was in Kinsey's work and conclusions. One example is on page 180 of Kinsey's Sexual Behavior in the Human Male is a section that today would land the perpetuators in jail. This chapter shows just how much negative influence that Darwinism has had in our society. This book will create much controversy, but cannot be ignored. I see West as a reporter, documenting the facts to help scholars and the public to understand the nefarious influence of Darwinism on society. As Francisco J. Ayala Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 321 Steinhaus Hall, Irvine, CA 92697, wrote in his May 15, 2007 PNAS article titled "Darwin's greatest discovery: Design without Designer", the theory of evolution is a result, not of intelligence, but of chance and necessity, randomness and determinism that jointly enmeshed to produce the stuff of all life and all life. This conclusion, besides not being science but religion, has profound implications for all of society.