Haldane on Creationism

The plants generally compete by pushing, rather than biting.
[…]
If the world of Nature is God's plan, then attempts to banish pain are contrary to this plan. So are attempts to perfect human society by eliminating the various evils which men inflict on one another.
[…]
Darwin made it reasonable to reject the argument from design, and the evil god or gods to which it leads if carried to its logical conclusion. We have not yet realised what an immense advance in our moral ideas this has made possible.

[Three fragments that appealed to me from: J.B.S. Haldane, "The Argument from Design", 1944, reproduced on The Home Page of Steven Carr.]

Posted on August 21, 2005 at 17.46 by jns · Permalink
In: All, Common-Place Book, Eureka!

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