Saturday, August 18, 2012

Biologos Requotes from David Lack

Today I'm requoting some statements from biologos.org:

Behind the criticism that Darwinism means that evolution is either random or rigidly determined lies the fear that evolution proceeds blindly, and not in accordance with a divine plan. This is another problem that really lies outside the terms of reference of biology. It is true that biologists have inferred that, because evolution occurs by natural selection, there is no divine plan; but they are being as illogical as those theologians whom they rightly criticize for inferring that, because there is a divine plan, evolution cannot be the result of natural selection. -David Lack (source)
And from the same source:

Mutations are random in relation to the needs of the animal, but natural selection is not. Selection, as the word implies, is the reverse of chance. -David Lack (source)
I am glad to find that someone could put this so succinctly. It is an important concept that is misunderstood by non-biologists and "obvious" to biologists. It is good he has bridged that gap.