Summary
Title: The Science of Evolution and the Myth of Creationism: Knowing What's Real and Why It Matters
Author: Ardea Skybreak
Publisher: Insight Press
ISBN: 0976023652
Pro:
• Discusses political aspects to the debate over evolution — aspects usually left unaddressed
• Explains the basic science of evolution in an easy to understand manner
• Uncompromising and unapologetic in critiques of creationism and religion
Con:
• Politics may put off some readers
Description:
• Explanation of where creationism goes wrong and why evolutionary theory is correct
• Analysis of the political aspects to the issue and why this debate matters politically
Book Review
There are generally two or three ways in which scientific authors approach the debate between science and creationism: presenting the scientific case for evolution and criticizing the lack of any scientific case for creationism. Occasionally a critic will go further and directly address the religious foundations of creationism — an approach that doesn't occur nearly often enough, given how creationism is exclusively religious in its origin and purpose. All of this is included in Ardea Skybreak's The Science of Evolution and the Myth of Creationism: Knowing What's Real and Why It Matters.
A formally trained biologist, she does a good job at explaining the basic science of evolution in a manner that should be accessible to average readers. She also does a good job explaining just how wrong creationism is, scientifically speaking, such that it can't be set alongside evolution as a viable alternative. Skybreak is also very direct, uncompromising, and unapologetic when it comes to addressing religion and how religious beliefs are being used to undermine science.
Ultimately, though, this is all material which can be found in one form or another in other places. The scientific explanations are strong and the critique of religion is refreshing, but that's not what sets this book apart. Ardea Skybreak adds a fourth approach to the debate between evolution and creationism — an element which is sometimes alluded to in vague terms, but which is rarely brought out into the open: politics.
There is a strong political element to the debate, and I don't just mean when it comes to school board elections. To put it simply, creationism is a product of a fundamentalist, religious worldview which promotes an unquestionable belief in a divinely created order to the world with unambiguous boundaries, an unchanging nature, and an absolute hierarchy.
Challenging the science of evolution is part of a broader social and political program that includes establishing absolute hierarchical relationships in families, churches, and communities; protecting unambiguous boundaries between men and women, gays and straights, and Christians and non-Christians; and finally, preserving an unchanging nature to gender roles, the function of churches, and the religious nature of government.
Evolutionary science undermines all of this and thus has a significant political function, even though it's unintentional. Evolution demonstrates that species were not created just as they exist today, and thus that it's false to assume that there are unambiguous boundaries in nature. Evolution demonstrates that while one species develops out of another, none can be considered "higher" and "superior" to others, thus undermining the notion that there is an absolute hierarchy in nature which can serve as a basis for hierarchies in society. Evolution also demonstrates nature changes — constantly and even violently — thus refuting the belief that the way things are today is the way they always were and always must be.
Science of Evolution and Myth of Creationism: Knowing What's Real and Why It Matters, Ardea Skybreak
Defending the science of evolution against fundamentalist religious creationism is therefore arguably vital to the political agendas of progressives, feminists, anarchists, freethinkers, and anyone else who opposes the efforts of religious and political reactionaries to return human society to the Dark Ages. This is why Ardea Skybreak's text originally appeared as a series of articles in The Revolutionary Worker — a fact I found confusing at first, but now I understand why and appreciate their willingness to support Skybreak's work.
I don't want to give the impression that Skybreak's book is one long political polemic against religion, conservatism, etc. On the contrary, politics only comes up occasionally and in a generally subtle manner. She doesn't try to beat readers over the head with her political views and appropriately focuses primarily on science. The political aspects of this debate do rise to the surface, however, and in a more explicit manner that I have found in any other book on the subject.
Some readers may be turned off by this political content, assuming that a critique of creationism should focus solely on science; yet that's a mistake, and I hope Skybreak's book is just the first of many more works to challenge this. You can buy the book because of the lucid and intelligent explanations of evolutionary science. You can also buy it because of the refreshingly direct critiques of popular creationism. You should consider buying it, though, because of it's unapologetic handling of the political aspects to this issue.
