Darwin's Conservatives: The Misguided Quest (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Can Darwin's theory of evolution help save conservatism? A number of prominent conservatives seem to think so, boldly insisting that Darwinism supports everything from free enterprise to the traditional family. But in this provocative new book, Dr. John West contends that "Darwin's conservatives" are embarked on a misguided quest for fools' gold, arguing that they ultimately misunderstand both Darwinism and conservatism.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Discovery Institute (November 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979014107
• ISBN-13: 978-0979014109
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,394,752 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Misguided Quest, November 18, 2007

By	The Professor - See all my reviews

The current Darwinian debate is usually incorrectly framed by the media as a clash between the so called political "right" and "left." Conservatives are assumed to be critical of Darwin's theory, while liberals supportive of it. Financial conservatives are often assumed to be political, social and religious conservatives. The real world, though, is far more complex. This book explores this complex topic. The best chapter by far was chapter 6 on the question "Is Darwinism compatible with Religion." West does the best job of anyone I know covering this topic. Buy the book for this chapter alone. Evolution says life started simple and became enormously complex, from the goo to humans by way of the zoo, whereas the people of the book all say life started out perfect and has since degenerated. Theism says God deliberately created life for a purpose. Orthodox Evolutionism says life is a result of mutations producing new genetic information and natural selection pruning the less well adapted from the new mix (the survival of the fittest) and that life has no purpose except survival. It is difficult for me to create a greater dichotomy then that between theistic religion and modern Neo-Darwinism. But I oversimplify, as West documents very well. To understand why read the chapter. Last, West covers the fact that if you question Darwinism (or whatever you call this world view), you may well find your self without a job, even a career. He noted cases where people have been denied their degrees, tenure and even lost their careers due to questioning Darwinism (see pages 97-103 and the new movie Expelled). Darwinists are behaving like it is commonly believed Joseph McCarthy did as we now face a new inquisition thanks to the Dogmatic Darwin Fundamentalists.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read to Understand all Facets of This Debate, April 8, 2009

By	ancientexplorer (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

Learn how conservatives can get caught up in the politics and bad science of Darwinism. A great intro into the non-science side of the evolution vs design debate.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, November 30, 2008

By	Barbara Ellis "barbara ellis" (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Become informed about science and relgion which is one of the hottest topics today. Lean about the untold story a big gaps in science where stories are made up to fill in the blanks. Develop independent thinking and think more like a scholar by having different perspectives. You can not become a great thinker with out all the facts. The truth is "facts are missing' in the our history and people do not know it. Learn to open and expand your thinking with this book and many others like it. This book is highly suggested.