Page 159 - The Evolution Impasse 1
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           munism finally collapsed entirely.   ding to a living thing’s requirements.
                                                 This belief has no scientific basis,
                                               but rather conflicts with all the scientific
           Gradual Evolution                   facts and is based solely on abstract lo-
           comedy, the                         gic. But it was most recently proposed

              —See, Punctuated Model of evolu-  under the name of the theory of evoluti-
           tion myth, the Great Chain of Being,  on.
           the                                   Initially, the Great Chain of Being
                                               was advanced as an entirely philosophi-
              According to the Greek philosopher  cal view and made no scientific claims.
           Aristotle, there is a hierarchy among  However, for those seeking to answer
           species, from the simple to the complex,  the question of how life came to be, asi-
           and these are set out in a linear manner,  de from the fact of creation, the Great
           just like the rungs of a ladder. Aristotle  Chain of Being was literally a lifesaver,
           gave this thesis the name Scala naturae.  and was given a scientific air for that
           This idea would have a profound effect  purpose.
           on Western thought up until the 18 th  How these organisms actually turned
           century, and belief in the Great Chain of  into one another, however, is a great
           Being, would later develop into the the-  mystery. Because this chain is based on
           ory of evolution.                   an abstract and superficial logic rather
              The belief that all living things evol-  than on any scientific observation. In ot-
           ved from inanimate matter constitutes  her words, it consists of a hypothesis
           the basis of Darwinism, but it can first  dreamed up by early philosophers, wit-
           be encountered in Aristotle’s accounts.  hout engaging in any scientific research.
           Belief in the Great Chain of Being was  There is a strong parallel between the
           enthusiastically adopted by philosophers  theory of evolution, which represents the
           who denied the existence of God.    basis of materialist and atheist philosop-
              According to this view, life came in-  hies, and the Scala naturae and Great
           to being spontaneously and everything  Chain of Being that form the vital source
           evolved—minerals into organic matter,  of ancient pagan materialist philosophi-
           and the first living primitive organisms  es. (See Evolutionary Paganism.) To-
           into animals, plants and human beings,  day, materialism draws strength through
           and from there to so-called deities, or  the theory of evolution, as in the past,
           gods. According to this irrational belief,  materialist thinking was based on the
           new organs arise spontaneously accor-  Great Chain of Being.






           Harun Yahya (Adnan Oktar)
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