“Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution” was the quote pasted at the top of my zoology syllabus.
Looking on a material level, we are no different from tree or beast. We are composed of the same stuff-a little carbon here, a little hydrogen there, throw in a few other elements and you get a human.
How is it that we, these living organisms among many, are better than any other living organism? Ah yes, I remember the quote. The light shines brightly now, and I understand. And I understand because I have evolved.
Out of the primordial ooze, we have arisen. Through millions of years, we have reached the exalted level of man-king of all species, ruler of earth.
Yet, we the kings have not evolved such that we are able to guarantee our survival. It is quite possible that my life will be lost at the hands of one of my fellow rulers. This causes me to question, “What kind of rulers are we?” We murder and war with one another. We steal and lie. We can be very wicked kings.
I look to the light of evolution to answer why it is that these things sadden me. Why do I feel that these crimes against humanity are wrong? It is then that I realize that there is something in biology that does not make sense in the light of evolution-morality.
If one is to know his purpose, then he must know his origin. If we are to accept evolution as an explanation of our origin, we must come to grasps with the fact that morality is utterly meaningless.
We are creatures of luck-nothing more. As such, we have no purpose. To make a moral judgment, to say anything is wrong is not possible. Right and wrong mean nothing. They are nothing more than concepts created by us, the products of time plus chance.
Michael Ruse, philosopher of biology and science, gave an honest look at what the believer in evolution must accept: “Morality is a biological adaptation no less than are hands and feet and teeth.” It is “just an aid to survival and reproduction … any deeper meaning is illusory.”
Thus, with no such thing as morality, we are justified in the most heinous of crimes. There is no line beyond which we may not cross. We must make no judgment about the abuse of small children. Genocide and racism cannot be called wrong. We may rape as we please.
Though it isn’t comforting, it is the world we must accept.
Richard Dawkins, professor of biology at Oxford writes, “In a universe of blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won’t find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice … no design, no purpose, no evil and no other good. Nothing but blind, pitiful indifference. DNA neither knows nor cares. DNA just is. And we dance to its music.”
So here we are on the dance floor, the spotlight of evolution shining down. Only it has revealed that we are horrible dancers.
Philosopher and theologian Ravi Zacharias has properly asked, “If DNA neither knows nor cares, what is it that prompts our knowing and our caring?”
Either we must accept that our notions of morality are only some form of virus affecting our DNA, or we must conclude there is something wrong with our theory of evolution.
If there is nothing wrong with our theory, then we must hope to evolve past our petty notions of right and wrong, fairness and justice. We need shed the shackles of morality that weigh us down.
I ask you now, are you willing to use the light of evolution to concede your senseless moral judgments that murder is wrong, that children should be protected or that yourself or the ones you love are of any worth?
Either morality is a false notion or we must look elsewhere than evolution for our source of light to make sense of who we are.
Michael Stewart is a senior philosophy and religion major. He can be reached at [email protected].