1.1 Darwin's Theory

Evolution and Natural Selection

In 1859, Darwin published On the Origin of Species. Modern evolutionary biology later expanded his model through genetics. The core ideas are:

• The theory of evolution is based on the idea that all species are related, and gradually change over time.
• Individuals in a species show variation in physical characteristics due to differences in their genes (DNA).
• Individuals with characteristics best suited to their environment are more likely to survive, finding food, avoiding predators, and resisting disease.
• These individuals are more likely to reproduce and pass their genes to their children.
• In mainstream biology, evolution is described as an unguided natural process: mutations are random with respect to fitness, while natural selection is non-random. On this view, features such as wings and eyes were not intentionally designed in advance, but emerged through cumulative selection over time.
• When DNA in different species looks very similar, this is usually taken as evidence of shared ancestors.

Classic illustration of acquired characteristics, an early evolutionary idea that is now considered outdated.

What Darwin’s Theory Implied

For some people, a purely material view of human origins can feel emotionally liberating because:

1. It removes the need for an afterlife framework.
2. It removes the need for divinely grounded moral duty.
3. It places personal fulfillment at the center.
4. It can push morality toward subjective standards.

But what did modern science find?

The next sections examine where current evidence supports this model and where, taken together, it makes key parts of the model highly implausible.

Video, Is Darwin’s theory science?

Short commentary by Dr. David Berlinski (5 minutes).