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Haeckel, Ernst
The famous evolutionist biologist Hallucigenia

Ernst Haeckel was a close friend and
This is one of the life forms that
supporter of Darwin. To support the the-
emerged suddenly in the Cambrian Peri-
ory of evolution, he put forward the the-
od in its perfect form. (See Cambrian
ory of recapitulation, which maintained
Period.) This Cambrian fossil has sharp
that the embryos of different life forms
spines to protect it against attack—and
resembled one another in their initial sta-
evolutionists are unable to explain how
ges. It was later realized that in putting
this creature came to have such excellent
forward that claim, Haeckel had produ-
protection at a time when there were no
ced forged drawings. (See Embryologi-
predators around. The absence of preda-
cal evolution.)
tors makes it impossible to account for
While perpetrating such scientific
this in terms of natural selection.
frauds, Haeckel also engaged in propa-
ganda in favor of eugenics. He was the
first to adopt and disseminate the idea of Heterotrophic view, the
eugenics in Germany. (See Eugenic sla-
The heterotrophic view is one of the
ughter.) He recommended that deformed
most researched theses regarding the
newborns babies should be killed without
emergence of the first life. According to
delay and that the evolution of society
this view, a consuming life form absorbs
would thus be accelerated. He went even
from its outside environment the organic
further, maintaining that lepers, patients
molecules it needs for the formation of
with cancer and the mentally ill should
structures and to meet its energy require-
be ruthlessly done away with, lest such
ments. This theory maintains that the
people prove to be a burden on society
first life form fed on organic compounds
and slow its evolution.
that formed spontaneously within a high-
George Stein summarized Haeckel’s
ly complex framework. It had no need
blind devotion to the theory of evolution:
for a gene system to enable it to synthesi-
. . . [Haeckel] argued that Darwin was
ze the simple organic molecules it absor-
correct . . . humankind had unquestio-
bed from the environment. In other
nably evolved from the animal kingdom. .
words, this hypothetical first living thing
. humankind’s social and political existen-
was able to maintain its vital functions as
ce is governed by the laws of evolution,
natural selection, and biology, as clearly a simple-structured feeder in a complex
shown by Darwin. To argue otherwise environment.
was backward superstition. 197 According to this view, chemical evo-
lution took place before life formed. As
THE EVOLUTION IMPASSE I