Science and Organic Evolution

[john Grehan]

>Ken wrote
>    However, many biologists who believe in evolutionary theory also
>believe in the possibility that a "supreme being" initially set the laws of
>evolution (and physics, chemistry, etc.) into motion.  Perhaps such
>"indirect creationism" is our best argument against the more extreme "direct
>creationists".

I see this as an interesting device which attempts to address the political
and social question as it deals with the political construction of the
moderate "middle-ground" referred to by Ken. Whether science itself can be
ordered by political concepts such as middle ground and extremists by which
ken labels particular perspectives remains to be seen. I guess I see it as
problematic. I and other panbiogeographers have been labeled extremist,
zealot, disciple (last one very popular term by opponents of
panbiogeography in the early days of the NZ effort), abusive (term used by
vicariance cladistic opponents, and a popular term in New Zealand science
circles for any criticism of efforts to maintain the Darwinian model for
New Zealand history and evolution) as a technique for discrediting the
research rather than critique the research itself.

The idea purported by  these critics was that panbiogeography lay outside
of what was 'reasonable', 'fair', intemperate (used by one vicariance
cladist), 'balanced' etc because it rejected the conceptual foundations of
Darwin's particular theory of evolution (modelled on the concepts of center
of origin, means of dispersal, barriers, and driven by natural selection).
And of course since the majority felt that way, what the majority believed
was by definition reasonable, fair, balanced etc. I guess they believe
nature works in a way that conforms to their beliefs on what is reasonable,
fair, balanced etc.

I don't know enough about systematics to know whether I am one of those
unreasonable strict cladists, but when it comes to panbiogeography I
suppose I will remain in the camp defined by Ken and others as being
extremist because I will not conform to the demands of orthodox political
correctness for my choices in science. If the panbiogeographic position is
'right' then perhaps it will just prove that 'nature' (universe or
whatever) knows no 'middle ground' and is in essence unreasonable and
intemperate too.

John Grehan

John Grehan
Director of Science and Collections
Buffalo Museum of Science
1020 Humboldt Parkway
Buffalo, New York 14211-1293
Voice 716-896-5200 x372
Fax 716-897-6723
jgrehan at sciencebuff.org