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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)