Darwin’s theory of evolution focuses principally on the several stages that man took to evolve into the human being that we know today. He focuses on the importance of adaptation to conditions of life through a series of evolutionary steps which perhaps cannot be scientifically proven totally but provide the best explanation to how we actually became what we are today. In actual fact Darwin was never insistent on proving that his theory was a fact as it remained what it was which was a theory. However as time went by and with the discovery of genetics, we could scientifically prove that evolution was actually present in the history of man. More importantly, Darwin’s ideas shattered religious myths and brought us up to a level of understanding our own past in the context of our present.
Describe how the Darwinian picture of nature contrasts with that of natural theology. Is nature marked by harmony? Does it inform us in any way about an ultimate divine goal? Is there any reason man should be viewed as separate from nature?
Darwin’s picture of nature contrasts substantially with that of natural theology as it offers certain scientific facts which are in complete contrast with the events portrayed in the Bible. Although science can seem to prove beyond any doubt that evolution happened especially through the concept of genetics, natural theology is still farther from all that. Nature is definitely marked by harmony especially where certain processes such mating and procreation are involved as well as the survival of animal life in the wild where we can observe the intrinsic harmony almost on a daily basis. However this does not always inform us in any way about a divine goal which remains something that is rather distant in the background. Man should not be viewed as separate from nature as his life cycle is intrinsically bound by it.
Works cited:
Charles Darwin: Diaries; Retrieved from: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/darwin/diary/index.html
Darwin vs. Malthus; Retrieved from: http://anthro.palomar.edu/evolve/evolve_2.htm
Charles Darwin: Origin of Species; Retrieved from: http://www.literature.org/authors/darwin-charles/the-origin-of-species/index.html
