In my previous articles, I outlined the first three videos in Scott Turner’s online course on evolution. They provide an overview of the course and lay the philosophical foundations (here, here). Today I will outline the lessons on the historical development of evolutionary theory, a history that has been largely forgotten. Metaphysical Vitalism Turner begins by describing the evolutionary theories that preceded Darwin. Those who followed in the traditions of Plato and Aristotle (see my previous article) held that life was fundamentally distinct from nonlife. In contrast, those in the atomist tradition (modern scientific materialism) believed that life was not distinct from nonlife. It was simply another configuration of atoms, so it could be reduced to physical mechanisms. Those who held to the Read More ›
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