Evolution as a Religion: Strange Hopes and Stranger Fears (Routledge Classics) [Paperback]

Mary Midgley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 29, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0415278333 | ISBN-13: 978-0415278331 | Edition: 2

Midgley exposes the illogical logic of poor doctrines that shelter themselves behind the prestige of science. Always at home when taking on the high priests of evolutionary theory - Dawkins, Wilson and their acolytes - she has described evolution as "the creation-myth of our age". In "Evolution As A Religion" she examines how science comes to be used as a substitute for religion and points out how badly that role distorts it. Her argument is insightful - a lively indictment of these misuses of science.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Midgley is one of the most acute and penetrating voices in current moral philosophy. Her great gift is clarity, both of thought and, especially, of expression. . To follow her reasoning . is like watching a ballet dancer walking in the street: there is a litheness, a gracefulness, an ease of articulation, which attests to years of learning lightly worn.
–John Banville, The Irish Times

A graceful, refreshing and enlightening book, applied philosophy that is relevant, timely and metaphysical in the best sense.
– The New York Times Book Review

About the Author

Mary Midgley (1919- ) A philosopher with a special interest in ethics, human nature and science, Mary Midgley has a widespread international following for her work. Her latest book is Science and Poetry.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 2 edition (March 29, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415278333
• ISBN-13: 978-0415278331
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #573,769 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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33 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars She provides a clear headed view., November 4, 2002

By 

Frank Bierbrauer (Cardiff, Wales, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Evolution as a Religion: Strange Hopes and Stranger Fears (Routledge Classics) (Paperback)

Mary Midgley, a philosopher, applies her extremely sharp mind to the idea that evolution, as it is expounded in the popular science press by eager biologists, can in some ways be interpreted as a religion. By religion we mean of course the standard ones such as Christianity, Buddhism, Islam etc.

Rather than actually laying out in a strictly defined way the characteristics which make up the religious view, something which is very difficult given the vast differences in the previously mentioned cases, she approaches the subject by analysing some of the typical `literature' in the popular science press on evolution which express their views in a highly dogmatic fashion: for example Richard Dawkins, Edward O. Wilson, Jacques Monod and so on. Gradually she lays bare the inherent faults in each of these texts by noting how not only that in most cases they state views which are not supported by strict science but in fact express metaphysical views which have the ring of science with all of its evidential weight. At times she shows that these opinions portray the same faults as those they wish to get rid of eg: the religious, vitalistic, animistic or metaphysical view.

Midgley has the ability to analyse very carefully what is stated and see things the general public could easily skip past in their enthusiasm. This book demolishes all of these pseudoscientific fantasies although its writing style is sometimes heavy going and is not really suited to the lay public. This book is, I believe written more for the interested scientist who has already read some of the foregoing literature and wishes to get a deep analysis of these things to fathom their relevance. This she does does ably although one feels that throughout she does not express a clear and direct point of this analysis but rather a series of essays on several subjects which have some sort of coherent structure. This is the only problem with this book and one feels that no real definite conclusion has been reached.

Nevertheless, Midgley is worth reading for her truly impressive ability to seek out faults which often lie hidden in the material she analyses and are quite subtle and not at all obvious until she points them out. It's good someone has done this to provide a clear head in all the plethora of the popular science literature, which in general, is not up to any sort of serious study of the state of science as it is today. In this case there is no chance one can easily dismiss her analyses as the wafflings of creationists or vitalists.

28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Evolution as a Religion., January 24, 2007

By 

New Age of Barbarism "zosimos" (EVROPA.) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Evolution as a Religion: Strange Hopes and Stranger Fears (Routledge Classics) (Paperback)

_Evolution as a Religion: Strange Hopes and Stranger Fears_, republished by Routledge in 2002, is a revised edition of a book by philosopher Mary Midgley which attempts to reveal the excesses and overbold prophecies of certain biologists (and other scientists) in their attempt to turn evolution into a religion. Midgley begins by noting that "I had been struck for some time by certain remarkable prophetic and metaphysical passages that appeared suddenly in science books about evolution, often in their last chapters. Though these passages were detached from the official reasoning of the books, they seemed still to be presented as science." Before going further though, it should be made clear that Midgley does not appear to be against the theory of evolution (properly formulated); indeed, she dedicates her book "To the Memory of Charles Darwin Who Did Not Say These Things", but rather to certain irresponsible statements and inferences drawn from it by certain scientists. Furthermore, Midgley is certainly not advocating Creationism (the belief in a literal "seven days") or Intelligent Design. (She references the work of the early Christian father Origen in this respect, showing the problematic in taking the account in Genesis to indicate a literal "seven days".) What this book is is simply reflections on some of these confusions made by scientists themselves and musings on the various philosophical underpinnings and implications of the theory of evolution. For a more detailed and convincing attack on the Darwinian account, one should consult the works of the Australian philosopher David Stove, particularly the book _Darwinian Fairytales_. Stove is a self-described "skeptic" in the tradition of David Hume and adheres to a common-sense approach in refuting the claims made by Darwinists, and furthermore, Stove is deeply indebted to this work by Mary Midgley in his own writings. Nevertheless, the writings of Midgley (while appearing to reject the traditional religious worldview) call into question many of the aspects of the modern scientific endeavor. Reactionary scientists and humanists generally will likely scoff at such ideas, but their refusal to actually consider the implications of their own researches (and especially the implications of their own religious prophecies) just serve to indicate how deeply in need of such questioning they are. It should also be pointed out that while this book was originally written as an essay in 1985, some of the claims may appear dated. However, since that time the practice of making overbold religious prophecies by noted scientists has only grown worse.

Midgley begins by arguing that unlike Darwin's account of the theory of evolution (supposedly, although Darwin himself had elements of both of these in his account), two distinct fallacies have arisen in the interpretation of this account: the "Social Darwinist" distortion (perhaps best expressed in the phrase "survival of the fittest" invented by Herbert Spencer) and the Panglossian or "Escalator Fallacy" (the naďve belief in progress, first put into form by Lamarck). Midgley also comments on the underpinnings of Darwin's own writings (showing the influence of his extracurricular readings on his worldview) and the apparent conflict between religion and biology (which is believed to arise out of a fear of biology). These two fallacies will continue to appear over and over again in the writings of noted Darwinists, despite the claims of Darwinists to have eliminated both of them from their accounts once and for all. Midgley next considers the supposed competition between religion and science (showing how these alleged demarcation disputes actually arise from a fallacy made by both the overzealous religious and scientists). Midgley considers for example the debate over evolution between Bishop Wilberforce and T. H. Huxley ("Darwin's bulldog"). According to the popular understanding of this debate, it is maintained that Wilberforce simply waffled and appealed to emotion. However, as Midgley shows this is not what occurred; instead, it should be noted that Wilberforce called for evidence (which at the time Huxley could not have provided) and actually presented a coherent argument (being somewhat of a scientist in his own right). Huxley was also the first to consider the idea of science as a paid profession and not merely a gentlemanly pursuit. Midgley then considers the question of evolution as religion. She explains how it is useful to speak of such things as Marxism as religion, and that no one argues that (alleged) non-theistic religions such as the original form of Buddhism are in fact religions, thus it should also be useful to speak of evolution as a religion. Midgley then goes on to consider the so-called "Escalator Fallacy", showing how this fallacy lies at the heart of much of the prophesying made by scientists. Indeed, much of the appeal of the uncovering of human genetics is rooted in the idea of the creation of an "Omega man" or a "superman" (often amounting to a supposed increase in intelligence). This idea of the "Omega man" was first proposed by the religious Jesuit Teilhard de Chardin, but it was later co-opted by atheistic scientists who became overly enamored of the fallacy of progress. Midgley also quotes extensively from the works of Nietzsche in this regard (making note of the role of eugenics in the breeding of the "superman"). Midgley considers some of the problems involved in genetic engineering and quotes such Darwinians as E. O. Wilson to illustrate the "Escalator Fallacy" in their thinking. Midgley also shows how the ideal of the "superscientist" is maintained as the goal of human evolution. (The undertones to such utopian thinking are indeed ominous.) Following this, Midgley considers various remarks made by the physicist Steven Weinberg and the biochemist Jacques Monod, which amount to a form of existentialism, mimicking Sartre. For instance, Monod maintains that the universe is a meaningless and dangerous place in which man lives as an alien and that man's only solace is to be found in science (why science should provide a source of redemption is of course never adequately explained). Such remarks are certainly religious. Monod makes war against "animism" which is what he beliefs to be the fallacies of progress and Social Darwinism; however, his own statements retain traces of both. Midgley next considers some of the antitheses which are alleged to exist between science and other forms of thinking. She shows how much of this type of thinking is highly problematic. Following this Midgley turns to the fallacy of Social Darwinism. Obvious cases of this are to be found in the writings of Spencer, the American eugenicists, and Adolf Hitler, but Social Darwinism also continually creeps up in the writings of the sociobiologists. Social Darwinism amounts to an affirmation of the Hobbesian ideal, a view of nature as "red in tooth and claw", and support for the philosophy of selfishness. For example, there is the statement of noted sociobiologist M. T. Ghiselin, "Scratch an `altruist' watch a `hypocrite' bleed." Further, Social Darwinism has frequently been used as a justification for the most rampant excesses of individualism and laissez-faire capitalism. Midgley considers the question of selfishness in the writings of Dawkins (theorist of the "selfish gene") and Wilson (who claimed that life only existed so that DNA could make more DNA). Midgley shows how such claims regarding selfish genes are anthropomorphic and ill-founded. (A better demolition of Dawkins is provided in the work of David Stove.) Midgley then goes on to show the limits of individualism and the dangers of progress and the excesses of Enlightenment humanism. Midgley also makes some interesting remarks on rights and duties (the idea of "duty towards oneself"), the possibility of animal rights, and the need to rethink our position towards other species, ourselves, and the environment.

The thinking of Midgley in this book is important, because it reveals the religious underpinnings of many of the modern scientific notions (regarding progress and utopia or dystopia). Scientists who refuse to think critically about their endeavors run the risk of becoming inhuman. And, the damage that has been done by predatory excesses (both of individualism and laissez-faire capitalism) should not be underestimated. These are important words of wisdom that should be heeded especially by those who are least likely to listen.

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dense, but in a good way, January 12, 2004

By 

Scotty A (Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Evolution as a Religion: Strange Hopes and Stranger Fears (Routledge Classics) (Paperback)

'Evolution as a Religion' was written in response to the extremism of popular science that has risen from the evolution/creation debate. Midgley is concerned with the clearly dogmatic views that some scientists hold, often resulting in worldviews that are compelling, but do not have the force of data behind them and should not be presented as science. Midgley deftly points out these failings, and along the way she brings up many philosophical implications of evolution.
While its title and theme may scare off evolutionists who prefer pro-evolution literature, I point out that Midgley's purpose is not to prove or disprove evolution. She never steps into the realm of actual evidence concerning evolution; her purpose is to expose the 'bad science' that has become a plague in the scientific community. Hence, I believe the book serves as a tool to keep scientists' feet firmly planted on the ground, and not get carried away with the fallacies on both sides of the debate.
This is the only Midgley book I have read; my exposure to philosophy is somewhat limited, but I found this book fascinating. I agree with the previous reviewer that the writing is heavy at times, so its slim appearance is deceiving--it may take some time to finish. But its density results in a thought-provoking and enriching experience. It is well worth your time, no matter what your beliefs.