The Triumph of Evolution: and the Failure of Creationism [Hardcover]

Much of the problem is that Eldredge writes what are in essence several different books. We have discussions of the Scientific Method, primers on evolution, the fossil record, patterns of life and punctuated equilibrium, attacks on young earth creationism, and a reply to Intelligent Design Creationism. All this in a framework (expressed in the introduction and the concluding chapter) claiming that religion, along with science, can solve the great challenge that lays ahead of us - the ecological crises and the threat to biodiversity.

Unfortunately, there are much better essays on each of these issues, and that the strength of Eldredge's arguments vary considerably between these issues.

After an interesting introduction, Eldredge treats us with a sound but all too brief discussion on scientific methodology. Eldredge explains how in science, we have a hierarchy of ideas - some extremely well established (like the 'fact' that the Earth is round and that life evolved) and some more speculative (like the superstring theory or the age of the universe). Thus the creationist regular chant that evolution is 'just a theory' is meaningless.

It is a good discussion, but more sophisticated accounts exist. My personal favorite is chapter four of Alan Sokal and Jean Bricmont's Intellectual Impostures ('Fashionable Nonsense' in the American edition).

Chapter three 'The Fossil Record' is probably the dullest chapter in the book. There is very little wrong with the discussion of the evolution of life in it - although it maybe stresses the ideas of Eldredgesï¿s 'Naturalist' school a little too much - but it is not very coherent. Eldredge simply is not the master of prose that Gould and Dawkins are.

Chapter four, which deals with Natural selection and punctuated Equilibrium is much better, in part because of its lovely history of evolutionary thought structure, and in part due to the eloquent 'Naturalist' account of evolutionary theory - with all the stress on Punctuated Equilibrium you would expect from its co-creator.

Chapter five is an attack on Young Earth Creationism. It deals mostly with Geology, and is both competent and unexceptional.

In Chapter Six, Eldredge argues that Creationists are often dishonest, and takes on the Intelligent Design movement headed by Phillip Johnson. For the most part he does a good job. Nonetheless, better criticism of Johnson's concept of 'atheistic materialism' appear in ï¿Tower of Babel: The Evidence against the New Creationismï¿ by Robert T. Pennock. The critique of Michel Beheï¿s irreducible complexity, while true, is far from thorough (the best review on Behe is an on line article in the Boston Review ï¿Intelligent Design, Againï¿ by H. Allen Orr).

Furthermore, on this chapter and on the next one, Eldredge bends over backwards to please the religious, especially Christians. The matter here is the association between evolution and atheism. While anti-evolutionists wish to equate evolution with atheism, biologists like Gould and Eldredge sometimes fall into the opposite trap ï¿ pretending that there is no discord between evolution and religion. Actually, while evolution does not disprove Christianity (or religion in general), it certainly poses a challenge to Christianity which Christian apologetics should face if they wish to persuade us that Christianity is true or at least intellectually acceptable.

The tendency grows worse. In chapter seven, Eldredge falls deeper into the ï¿bending overï¿ trap. Eldredge claims that he sees a great role for religion in the future ï¿ religion is mankindï¿s tool to fight off the coming ecological crisis.

Eldredge thinks that religion mirrors ecology ï¿ ï¿religious traditions, especially as embodied in concepts of God, are deeply if not wholly ecological concepts as wellï¿ (p. 162). He ï¿demonstratesï¿ this by an argument so thin ï¿ using only two examples, one of them from the King James Bible and one from an African tribe ï¿ that it barely requires refutation. What is the religious response for the current crisis ? ï¿the emergence of the economic impact of humanity on the biosphere as a whole is so new that it is perhaps to be expected that no religious traditions independently mirroring the relatively recent scientific understanding of the problem have yet emergedï¿ in other words, even if you were to accept the ï¿ extremely metaphorical ï¿ connection between religion and the ecological niche mankind posses, the connection is obsolete. Nonetheless, there is hope. Eldredge observes ï¿a growing movement in conservative Christian circles, a movement that can only be described as ï¿greenï¿ï¿ (p.167)

Now this is patently irrelevant. As much as the leftist and secular environmentalists may applaud that our religious brethren are finally opening their eyes to a danger that has been known since the 1970s, what does that have to do with their religion? If the religious wants to join the good fight, they are welcome to it, but it doesnï¿t make the struggle for biodiversity religious.

Eldredge has redefined religion in such a way as to make it unrecognizable. The problem of religion will not go away so easily. Eldredge simply refuses to except that the existence or inexistence of God is an empirical question ï¿ and he hides the differences between science and religion with obfuscationist rhetoric. Eldredge dares say that on the one hand ï¿we created God in our own imageï¿ but that does not say that ï¿the concept of God in questionï¿ does not exist in precisely the manner Christian theology specifiesï¿ (p. 166 note 12). Of course not ï¿ but no one can take seriously the idea that we invented God in our own image and somehow miraculously captured the way God really is like.

Eldredge claims to respect all religions, but if religion is false it does not deserve respect. Rather, like any other false idea, it should be discarded, and whatever social role it plays must be taken over by an institution based on truth, not myth.

A spectre is haunting the classrooms of North American schools, and "Eldredge the Exorcist" may be the instrument to expel it. The demon is Christian creationism targeting Darwin's evolution by natural selection. As Eldredge makes clear, it is Christians, not scientists, who have fostered the science vs. religion "wars." While few scientists eschew spirits as having any role in nature's processes, their beliefs aren't essential to their work. Christians, declaring their monopoly on "morals" and "ethics" still fear that teaching Darwin's natural selection will erode that control. As Eldredge notes, they have maintained an ongoing campaign to govern the classroom throughout the 20th Century. Nor, he demonstrates, have the sprinkling of court decisions seriously impaired their efforts. He calls for readers to uphold the cause of good science education, offering a list of tactics and resources to apply in support of teachers and schools. And students, if they care to look.

He provides an excellent summary of the history and development of thinking about evolution. From Darwin's original idea through the era of dispute over the role of genetics, to the idea of "punk eek" he and Gould devised, Eldredge covers a great deal of ground. A staunch defender of science, he's a good analyst and witty writer. Readers are not swamped with jargon or arcane ideas. The presentation is clear, precise and generally well balanced. From the essence of evolutionary thinking, Eldredge takes us on a tour of Christian creationist assaults on Darwin's "dangerous idea." These are pitifully underpinned and often expressed defying analysis. Christian creationists are at war with science, but Darwin's natural selection in particular. No tactic appears out of bounds, from misquotes through devious tactics to outright falsehood. No matter, they say. This is a question of morality and ethics.

Eldredge's summary of why Christian creationists feel the need to campaign against Darwin and carrying their battle into the classroom is excellent. He alludes to the alliance of Christian creationists and politics as one striving to restore a view [no matter how flawed] of social mores and control. He also fears the rising degradation of the environment as stemming from Christian adherence to the idea of humans having "dominion over the earth" granted them by their many Bibles. He's sensitive to the rapid loss of biodiversity. Keeping classrooms free of false dogmas is a starting point for saving this planet.

There are few flaws in this book, and these are limited to overstressing his own evolutionary theory. As co-developer [with Stephen Gould] of the idea of "punctuated equilibrium," Eldredge gives this idea rather more space than it deserves. He also surrenders to the impulse of chastising Richard Dawkins with words nearly as harsh as he uses on the Christians. Calling Dawkins "stupid" would be hilarious in any other writer. In Eldredge, it's unforgivable. That issue will not impair readers knowledgeable about writers of evolution. Those looking at the issues for the first time, however, may be misled by his vehemence. Every parent, student, teacher, or school board member should sit down with this book and read it carefully.

It's a fairly short book, 170 pages of main text, with copious notes and references to sources for further reading occupying an additional 44 pages.

It should be required reading for all public school board members, and all state and federal legislators.