The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1922-06-29
EVOLUTION AND DARwINIsM


There seems to be considerable con-
fusion in the minds Of the opponents
a evolution as to the meaning Of
the terms evolution" and Darwin.
ism" Some direct their attacks at
Darwinism or Darwinian evolution,
implying that there is another va
riety Of evolution that is not so false
and dangerous, while others use the
words as essentially synonymous and
ask the former class, IL they reject
Darwinian evolution, to define the
evolution they accept.
Altho Darwin was by no means the
first TO advance the theory Of evolu-
ton, his epoch-making books, "The
Origin Of Species" and "The Descent
Of Man, in about the middle Of the
last century, brought the theory into
such prominence that it was known
for many years as Darwinism. Sci.
entists at present, however, do not
use the term as synonymous with
evolution. but for certain ideas which
Darwin associated with the theory
and which have been TO a great ex-
tent discarded, but the essential prin-
cirle Of evolution is the same today
rs II was understood to be by Darwin.
He believed that he had found in nat.
ural and sexual selection and survival
% the fittest an adequate explana-
ton Of the causes and methods of the
process in organic life. Darwin
ISM" as used fifty years ago, meant
evolution plus this explanation of it,
which until near the close Of the cen
fury was generally accepted. This
explanation, as stated above, has now
been largely discredted by scientists
and the term "Darwinism" stands
simply for his theory Of natural sc.
lection. When prominent scientists
say. as did Professor Bateson at
Toronto recently. that Darwinism can
TO longer be maintained, they do MT
refer at all to the principle Of evolu-
tion. Professor Bateson is a strong
supporter of evolution and so stated
in the same address which contained
the former statement. And yet such
statements about Darwinism are
h; lied by the nti-evolut'onists as
evidence Of "The. Collapse Of Evolu-
ticn," while they fail TO quote those
authorities on the subject Of evolution
proper.
The issue is really between the de-
velopment theory and that Of special
creation. As applied to man and the
human race, the former means that
God created the race by process of
development just vas He creates men
today, and that every individual in
the history of the developing race
was born and grew up from infancy
as men do now. The special creation
theory is that the first man was in
simultaneously created as an adult.
with all the powers and capacities of
normal, full-grown man. The only
evidence of the truth of the special
creation theory is a wrong interpre-
tation of the Bible, while the evi.
dences of the development theory are
so varied and overwhelming as to
make it practically closed question
in the minds of scholars in all the
different branches of physical science,
and the recognition of the principle
Of evolution in the realm Of social,
mental and moral sciences has con-
tributed greatly TO the wonderful
progress that has been made in these
sciences in recent times.
Biologists today are seeking. not to
find new evidences Of evolution, but
to discover an explanation of the OPP
Grating causes in the process which
shall be more satisfactory than OAR
wins natural selection theory.
Geo. II. FELTON,