Algeny: A New Word—A New World

[[File:Algeny.jpg|thumb|right|165px|The ''Algeny'' book cover]]
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'''''Algeny: A New Word—A New World; A Provocative Critique of Darwinism, the Age of Genetic Engineering, and Our Relationship to Nature''''' ({{Isbn|9780670108855}}) is a controversial book written by American [[economist]] {{wpl|Jeremy Rifkin}} and published by Penguin Books in 1983.

==Overview==
''Algeny'' claims to be a controversial reevaluation of [[Darwinism]], a critique of the coming era of bioengineering, and a critical examination of the way we view our relationship with nature.<ref>[http://www.foet.org/books/algeny.html ''Algeny'': Viking Press, 1983] ''The Foundation on Economic Trends'' (archived from September 2006). This book entry was later purged from Rifkin's own website (FOET).</ref> Darwinian evolution, Rifkin holds, is a product of 19<sup>th</sup> century industrial [[capitalism]]. Rifkin claims that [[natural selection]] is under attack; however, his book confuses "Darwinism" with [[evolution]]. According to a review of the book:

{{quotebox|[Rifkin] trots out the common errors of [[anti-evolution]]ists: [[natural selection]] as [[tautology]], lack of [[Transitional fossil|intermediate forms]], arguments by [[probability]], even the non-Darwinian notion that evolution means [[progress]] toward perfection and self-sufficiency. He ends up tarring Darwin with a [[Social Darwinism|Social Darwinist]] brush, saying that Darwin unconsciously voiced the upper-class Englishman's justifications of [[Thomas Malthus|Malthusian]] measures. You will get the idea that Darwin has been buried by everyone from creationist [[Duane Gish]] to exponent [[Stephen Jay Gould]]. These arguments lead Rifkin to his concept of the new cosmology and its issue: an information-processing evolution in which ""fields""{{efn|Doubled quotes are in the original.}} and biological clocks weld together to create the driving force for a universal mind guiding future waves of evolution.<ref>[https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jeremy-with-nicanor-perlas-rifkin/algeny/#review ''Algeny'' by Jeremy with Nicanor Perlas Rifkin. Release Date: May 1, 1983] ''Kirkus Reviews''.</ref>}}

Rifkin claims he is not a [[creationist]], yet his book is filled with anti-evolution arguments, and because of this the book is usually [[quote mining|quote-mined]] by creationists.<ref>[https://etb-creationism.blogspot.com/2012/03/creationists-misuse-of-quotations.html Creationists' misuse of quotations] by Edward T. Babinski (March 11, 2004) ''Scrivenings'' via ''Blogspot''.</ref>

==Reception==
[[Stephen Jay Gould]] in a 1985 issue of ''Discovery'' magazine wrote:<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040422120328/http://www.innovation.cc/book-reviews/rifkin.htm Entropy, ''Algeny'' & The End of Work], review by Howard Doughty (updated September 24, 2001) ''The Innovation Jounral'' (archived from April 22, 2004).</ref>
{{cquote|I regard ''Algeny'' as a cleverly constructed tract of [[anti-intellectual]] [[propaganda]] masquerading as scholarship. Among books promoted as serious intellectual statements by important thinkers, I don't think I have ever read a shoddier work. Damned shame, too, because the deep issue is troubling and I do not disagree with Rifkin's basic pleas for respecting the integrity of evolutionary lineages. But devious means compromise good ends, and we shall have to save Rifkin's humane conclusion from his own lamentable tactics.}}

It has been cited by [[intelligent design]] proponents as a book which supposedly dismantles Darwinism.<ref>[http://www.uncommondescent.com/intelligent-design/the-top-three-books-that-helped-change-me-from-a-mindless-irrational-darwinist-into-an-id-proponent The top three books that helped change me from a mindless, irrational Darwinist into an ID proponent] by Gil Dodgen (February 4, 2011) ''Uncommon Descent''.</ref> 

In a review of the book, Stephen C. Maxson wrote "Rifkin does not believe in evolution of species. In his view, species are separate entities with natural and impenetrable reproductive boundaries, thus there is no genetic or biological relationship between one species and another."<ref>"Genes, Species, and Evolution: A Critique of Rifkinism" by Stephen C. Maxson (1987) ''Politics and the Life Sciences'' 5(2):289-290. doi:10.1017/S0730938400002471.</ref> Rifkin's criticisms of evolution are no different from those of the [[religious]] [[creationist]]s (e.g. [[baraminology]]) and have been dismissed by the scientific community.

==Notes==
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==References==
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[[Category:Books]]

Categories: Books