Strengths and weaknesses of evolution
Encyclopedia
"Strengths and weaknesses of evolution" is a controversial phrase that has been proposed for (and in Texas
introduced into) public school science curricula. Those proposing the phrase, such as Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) chairman Don McLeroy
, purport that there are weaknesses in the theory of evolution
and in the evidence that life has evolved that should be taught for a balanced treatment of the subject of evolution
. The scientific community rejects that any substantive weaknesses exist in the scientific theory
, or in the data that it explains, and views the examples that have been given in support of the phrasing as being without merit and long refuted.
This has led scientists and journalists to conclude that the phrase is a creationist tactic to introduce religion into science courses. The phrase was introduced by the SBOE in the late 1980s. Since then it has been promoted in California and Missouri. In late 2008, it became a highly publicized issue as the Texas SBOE held public hearings on whether this language should be removed from the curriculum. According to the National Center for Science Education
, the phrase, like 'Teach the controversy
' and 'Critical Analysis of Evolution
', is an attempt in a series of legal and political tactics adopted by intelligent design
advocates to encourage educators to teach fallacious information — that a controversy exists among scientists over whether evolution has occurred.
In 2003, the "strengths and weaknesses" language in the standards was employed by members of the board in an unsuccessful attempt to dilute the treatment of evolution in the biology textbooks they were considering.
In September 2008 the 21st Century Science Coalition released a petition to remove the phrase "strengths and weaknesses" from the public school guidelines for science classrooms in Texas. As of November 2008, 588 scientists at Texas universities and 777 other scientists across the state have signed the petition.
In the summer of 2008/2009 the Texas SBOE is determining the curriculum for the next decade, including deciding whether the "strengths and weaknesses" of evolution should be taught. While this language was described by the New York Times as a "benign-sounding phrase", they mention that critics state that it is a new strategy to undermine the teaching of evolution, and for students to hear religious objections under the heading of scientific discourse. The SBOE Chairman, Don McLeroy
, a Young Earth creationist
dentist from Central Texas, denied that the language "is subterfuge for bringing in creationism." McLeroy views the debate as being between "two systems of science" — "a creationist
system and a naturalist system". These views have alarmed Texas educators, including former chairman of the department of medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
Dan Foster, who stated that "[s]erious students will not come to study in our universities if Texas is labeled scientifically backward".
In December 2008, the San Antonio Express-News
stated in an editorial that the Texas SBOE has a "long history of trying to water down the science curriculum with criticisms of evolution that lack scientific credibility."
In January 2009, the Texas SBOE voted to remove the 'Strengths and Weaknesses" language, but its conservative faction, led by Don McLeroy, managed to pass several amendments to the science curriculum that opponents describe as opening the door to teaching objections to evolution
that might lead students to reject it. These included one amendent that compels science teachers to teach about aspects of the fossil record that do not neatly fit with gradualism
, but rather show the relatively sudden appearance of some species while others seem to remain unchanged for millions of years. Prominent University of Texas biology professor David Hillis
described the amendments as "mak[ing] no sense to me ... It's a clear indication that the chairman of the state school board doesn’t understand the science." Board member Ken Mercer, who voted to keep "strengths and weaknesses" described his support for the language in explicitly religious terms: "It's an issue of freedom of religion." This view was contradicted by fellow social conservative board member Barbara Cargill, who stated "[t]his isn’t about religion."
On March 13, 2009 a bill (HB 4224) was introduced in the Texas House of Representatives
that would require the Texas SBOE to restore the "strengths and weaknesses" language in the state science standards.
sought to persuade the Roseville Joint Union High School District
Board of Trustees to adopt a policy which included teaching "the scientific strengths and weaknesses" of evolution. When this was rejected, he filed a complaint in federal court against the district, alleging that his civil rights were violated during the controversy, resulting in a summary judgment against him in September 2007.
created an Academic Freedom
petition that stated "Teachers should be protected from being fired, harassed, intimidated, or discriminated against for objectively presenting the scientific strengths and weaknesses of Darwinian theory."
, proposed that "teachers shall be permitted to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of theories of biological and chemical evolution." This bill died when the Missouri legislative session ended on May 15, 2009.
member Bill Dunn
introduced House Bill 368 , which states that "teachers shall be permitted to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught." On 16 February 2011, Tennessee State Senator Bo Watson
introduced an identical bill, Senate Bill 893. The House Bill was passed by the House Education Committee on 29 March 2011, and referred to the House Calendar and Rules Committee. Alan I. Leshner
, the Chief Executive Officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
and Executive Publisher of the journal Science
, wrote to the House of Representatives opposing the Bill, stating "There is virtually no scientific controversy among the overwhelming majority of researchers on the core facts of global warming and evolution. Asserting that there are significant scientific controversies about the overall nature of these concepts when there are none will only confuse students, not enlighten them."
Some scientists, including University of Texas biochemistry
professor Andrew Ellington and Houston Independent School District
's AP
science lead teacher Robert Dennison, are concerned that the mention of "weaknesses" in the curriculum standards has had a chilling effect on science teachers.
In a survey commissioned by the Texas Freedom Network
, "94% of Texas scientists indicated that claimed "weaknesses" are not valid scientific objections to evolution (with 87% saying that they “strongly disagree” that such weaknesses should be considered valid)."
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
introduced into) public school science curricula. Those proposing the phrase, such as Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) chairman Don McLeroy
Don McLeroy
John Donald "Don" McLeroy is a dentist in Bryan, Texas and a departing Republican member of the Texas State Board of Education, which establishes policy for the Texas public school system. Dr. McLeroy, who represents SBOE District 9 , has been on the board since 1998...
, purport that there are weaknesses in the theory of evolution
Modern evolutionary synthesis
The modern evolutionary synthesis is a union of ideas from several biological specialties which provides a widely accepted account of evolution...
and in the evidence that life has evolved that should be taught for a balanced treatment of the subject of evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
. The scientific community rejects that any substantive weaknesses exist in the scientific theory
Scientific theory
A scientific theory comprises a collection of concepts, including abstractions of observable phenomena expressed as quantifiable properties, together with rules that express relationships between observations of such concepts...
, or in the data that it explains, and views the examples that have been given in support of the phrasing as being without merit and long refuted.
This has led scientists and journalists to conclude that the phrase is a creationist tactic to introduce religion into science courses. The phrase was introduced by the SBOE in the late 1980s. Since then it has been promoted in California and Missouri. In late 2008, it became a highly publicized issue as the Texas SBOE held public hearings on whether this language should be removed from the curriculum. According to the National Center for Science Education
National Center for Science Education
The National Center for Science Education is a non-profit organization based in Oakland, California affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. It is the United States' leading anti-creationist organization, and defends the teaching of evolutionary biology and opposes...
, the phrase, like 'Teach the controversy
Teach the Controversy
Teach the Controversy is the name of a Discovery Institute campaign to promote intelligent design, a variant of traditional creationism, while attempting to discredit evolution in United States public high school science courses...
' and 'Critical Analysis of Evolution
Critical Analysis of Evolution
Critical Analysis of Evolution is the name of both a proposed high school science lesson plan promoting intelligent design and a tactic to promote design using Teach the Controversy promoted by the American think tank, Discovery Institute, originators of the intelligent design movement, as part of...
', is an attempt in a series of legal and political tactics adopted by intelligent design
Intelligent design
Intelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
advocates to encourage educators to teach fallacious information — that a controversy exists among scientists over whether evolution has occurred.
Texas SBOE
The "strengths and weaknesses" language was included in the curriculum standards in Texas to appease creationists when the SBOE first mandated the teaching of evolution in the late 1980s.In 2003, the "strengths and weaknesses" language in the standards was employed by members of the board in an unsuccessful attempt to dilute the treatment of evolution in the biology textbooks they were considering.
In September 2008 the 21st Century Science Coalition released a petition to remove the phrase "strengths and weaknesses" from the public school guidelines for science classrooms in Texas. As of November 2008, 588 scientists at Texas universities and 777 other scientists across the state have signed the petition.
In the summer of 2008/2009 the Texas SBOE is determining the curriculum for the next decade, including deciding whether the "strengths and weaknesses" of evolution should be taught. While this language was described by the New York Times as a "benign-sounding phrase", they mention that critics state that it is a new strategy to undermine the teaching of evolution, and for students to hear religious objections under the heading of scientific discourse. The SBOE Chairman, Don McLeroy
Don McLeroy
John Donald "Don" McLeroy is a dentist in Bryan, Texas and a departing Republican member of the Texas State Board of Education, which establishes policy for the Texas public school system. Dr. McLeroy, who represents SBOE District 9 , has been on the board since 1998...
, a Young Earth creationist
Young Earth creationism
Young Earth creationism is the religious belief that Heavens, Earth, and all life on Earth were created by direct acts of the Abrahamic God during a relatively short period, sometime between 5,700 and 10,000 years ago...
dentist from Central Texas, denied that the language "is subterfuge for bringing in creationism." McLeroy views the debate as being between "two systems of science" — "a creationist
Creationism
Creationism is the religious beliefthat humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being, most often referring to the Abrahamic god. As science developed from the 18th century onwards, various views developed which aimed to reconcile science with the Genesis...
system and a naturalist system". These views have alarmed Texas educators, including former chairman of the department of medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center is one of the biomedical research institutions of the University of Texas System, incorporating three degree-granting institutions, four affiliated hospitals, including Parkland Memorial, the teaching hospital, and biomedical research...
Dan Foster, who stated that "[s]erious students will not come to study in our universities if Texas is labeled scientifically backward".
In December 2008, the San Antonio Express-News
San Antonio Express-News
The San Antonio Express-News is the daily newspaper of San Antonio, Texas. It is ranked as the third-largest daily newspaper in the state of Texas in terms of circulation, and is one of the leading news sources of South Texas, with offices in Austin, Brownsville, Laredo, and Mexico City...
stated in an editorial that the Texas SBOE has a "long history of trying to water down the science curriculum with criticisms of evolution that lack scientific credibility."
In January 2009, the Texas SBOE voted to remove the 'Strengths and Weaknesses" language, but its conservative faction, led by Don McLeroy, managed to pass several amendments to the science curriculum that opponents describe as opening the door to teaching objections to evolution
Objections to evolution
Objections to evolution have been raised since evolutionary ideas came to prominence in the 19th century. When Charles Darwin published his 1859 book On the Origin of Species, his theory of evolution by natural selection initially met opposition from scientists with different theories, but came to...
that might lead students to reject it. These included one amendent that compels science teachers to teach about aspects of the fossil record that do not neatly fit with gradualism
Gradualism
Gradualism is the belief in or the policy of advancing toward a goal by gradual, often slow stages.-Politics and society:In politics, the concept of gradualism is used to describe the belief that change ought to be brought about in small, discrete increments rather than in abrupt strokes such as...
, but rather show the relatively sudden appearance of some species while others seem to remain unchanged for millions of years. Prominent University of Texas biology professor David Hillis
David Hillis
David Mark Hillis is an American evolutionary biologist, and the Alfred W. Roark Centennial Professor of Biology at the University of Texas at Austin. He is best known for his studies of molecular evolution, phylogeny, and vertebrate systematics...
described the amendments as "mak[ing] no sense to me ... It's a clear indication that the chairman of the state school board doesn’t understand the science." Board member Ken Mercer, who voted to keep "strengths and weaknesses" described his support for the language in explicitly religious terms: "It's an issue of freedom of religion." This view was contradicted by fellow social conservative board member Barbara Cargill, who stated "[t]his isn’t about religion."
On March 13, 2009 a bill (HB 4224) was introduced in the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
that would require the Texas SBOE to restore the "strengths and weaknesses" language in the state science standards.
California
In 2003 and 2004, creationist lawyer Larry CaldwellLarry Caldwell
Larry Caldwell, a pro-intelligent design activist and attorney, has been active in bringing litigation in causes supporting the intelligent design movement...
sought to persuade the Roseville Joint Union High School District
Roseville Joint Union High School District
Roseville Joint Union High School District is a school district that consists of 5 regular high schools, 2 continuation high schools and an adult school...
Board of Trustees to adopt a policy which included teaching "the scientific strengths and weaknesses" of evolution. When this was rejected, he filed a complaint in federal court against the district, alleging that his civil rights were violated during the controversy, resulting in a summary judgment against him in September 2007.
Discovery Institute
In February 2008 the Discovery InstituteDiscovery Institute
The Discovery Institute is a non-profit public policy think tank based in Seattle, Washington, best known for its advocacy of intelligent design...
created an Academic Freedom
Academic Freedom bills
Academic Freedom bills are a series of antievolution bills introduced in state legislatures in the United States between 2004 and 2009. They assert that teachers, students, and college professors face intimidation and retaliation when discussing scientific criticisms of evolution, and therefore...
petition that stated "Teachers should be protected from being fired, harassed, intimidated, or discriminated against for objectively presenting the scientific strengths and weaknesses of Darwinian theory."
Missouri
In February 2009, House Bill 656, introduced in the Missouri House of RepresentativesMissouri House of Representatives
The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 31,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections held in even-numbered years.In 1992 Missouri...
, proposed that "teachers shall be permitted to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of theories of biological and chemical evolution." This bill died when the Missouri legislative session ended on May 15, 2009.
Tennessee
On 9 February 2011, Tennessee House of RepresentativesTennessee House of Representatives
The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional requirements:...
member Bill Dunn
Bill Dunn
Bill Dunn is an American politician and a Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives. He has served as a state representative since being elected to the 99th Tennessee General Assembly...
introduced House Bill 368 , which states that "teachers shall be permitted to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught." On 16 February 2011, Tennessee State Senator Bo Watson
Bo Watson
Bo Watson is an American politician and a Republican member of the Tennessee Senate. He was first elected as a State Senator for the 105th Tennessee General Assembly, having previously served as a State Representative during the 104th General Assembly. Bo Watson represents the 11th district, which...
introduced an identical bill, Senate Bill 893. The House Bill was passed by the House Education Committee on 29 March 2011, and referred to the House Calendar and Rules Committee. Alan I. Leshner
Alan I. Leshner
Alan Leshner is a scientist, educator and public servant from the United States.-Education:Leshner received an undergraduate degree in psychology from Franklin and Marshall College in 1965. He earned an M.S. in physiological psychology from Rutgers University in 1967, and a Ph.D...
, the Chief Executive Officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
and Executive Publisher of the journal Science
Science (journal)
Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
, wrote to the House of Representatives opposing the Bill, stating "There is virtually no scientific controversy among the overwhelming majority of researchers on the core facts of global warming and evolution. Asserting that there are significant scientific controversies about the overall nature of these concepts when there are none will only confuse students, not enlighten them."
Educational and scientific value
While anti-evolution members of the Texas SBOE have claimed their "weaknesses" campaign has nothing to do with faith, that "We're not putting religion in books", scientists have rebutted that these weaknesses are simply falsehoods. Scientists testified at the state board hearing in November 2008 that evolution is a scientific theory, not a hypothesis and thus does not have weaknesses.Some scientists, including University of Texas biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
professor Andrew Ellington and Houston Independent School District
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
's AP
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
science lead teacher Robert Dennison, are concerned that the mention of "weaknesses" in the curriculum standards has had a chilling effect on science teachers.
In a survey commissioned by the Texas Freedom Network
Texas Freedom Network
The Texas Freedom Network is a Texas organization formed to protect religious freedom, defend civil liberties, and strengthen public schools in the State of Texas...
, "94% of Texas scientists indicated that claimed "weaknesses" are not valid scientific objections to evolution (with 87% saying that they “strongly disagree” that such weaknesses should be considered valid)."
Specific weaknesses and their scientific rebuttals
Supporters of the 'strengths and weaknesses of evolution' language have proposed the following as weaknesses of evolution, and the scientific community has responded with the following rebuttals:| Argument | Scientific rebuttal |
|---|---|
| Evolution violates the first law of thermodynamics | Sunlight is the ultimate source of energy for life on Earth and provides the energy needed for organisms to live and reproduce. As the existence and evolution of life neither creates nor destroys this energy, it does not violate the first law of thermodynamics. |
| Evolution violates the second law of thermodynamics | The second law only applies to closed system Closed system -In physics:In thermodynamics, a closed system can exchange energy , but not matter, with its surroundings.In contrast, an isolated system cannot exchange any of heat, work, or matter with the surroundings, while an open system can exchange all of heat, work and matter.For a simple system, with... s that do not exchange matter or energy with their surroundings. Both the Earth and all living organisms are open systems. For further details see Evolution and the second law of thermodynamics and Entropy and life Entropy and life Research concerning the relationship between the thermodynamic quantity entropy and the evolution of life began in around the turn of the 20th century... . |
| Evolution violates the Law of Biogenesis | Pasteur's law only disproved the (then current) idea that life forms such as mice, maggots, and bacteria can appear fully formed. It does not say that very primitive life cannot form from increasingly complex molecules. |
| Evolution is unable to explain the Cambrian Explosion Cambrian explosion The Cambrian explosion or Cambrian radiation was the relatively rapid appearance, around , of most major phyla, as demonstrated in the fossil record, accompanied by major diversification of other organisms, including animals, phytoplankton, and calcimicrobes... |
|
| Alleged frauds and forgeries such as Piltdown Man Piltdown Man The Piltdown Man was a hoax in which bone fragments were presented as the fossilised remains of a previously unknown early human. These fragments consisted of parts of a skull and jawbone, said to have been collected in 1912 from a gravel pit at Piltdown, East Sussex, England... and Haeckel Ernst Haeckel The "European War" became known as "The Great War", and it was not until 1920, in the book "The First World War 1914-1918" by Charles à Court Repington, that the term "First World War" was used as the official name for the conflict.-Research:... 's embryo drawings Embryo drawings Embryo drawing refers to any representation of the illustration of embryos in their developmental sequence. In plants and animals, an embryo develops from a zygote, the single cell that results when an egg and sperm fuse during fertilization... |
Rebuttal of allegations that past evidence for evolution has been overturned
|
| Evolution is not observable | Observability of evolution |
| Evolution is only a theory and not a factLook who’s determining science standards in Texas, Nick Matzke Nick Matzke Nicholas J. Matzke is the former Public Information Project Director at the National Center for Science Education and served an instrumental role in NCSE's preparation for the 2005 Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District trial... , Panda's Thumb (blog), November 21, 2008 |
Evolution is both a theory and a fact Evolution as theory and fact "Evolution is both fact and theory" is a statement that appears in numerous publications on biological evolution. The statement is framed to clarify misconceptions about the philosophy of evolution primarily in response to creationist statements that "evolution is only a theory"... . |
See also
- Academic Freedom billsAcademic Freedom billsAcademic Freedom bills are a series of antievolution bills introduced in state legislatures in the United States between 2004 and 2009. They assert that teachers, students, and college professors face intimidation and retaliation when discussing scientific criticisms of evolution, and therefore...
- Christine ComerChristine ComerChristine Castillo Comer is the former Director of Science in the curriculum division of the Texas Education Agency . Comer spent nine years as the Director of Science until she resigned on November 7, 2007...
- Critical Analysis of EvolutionCritical Analysis of EvolutionCritical Analysis of Evolution is the name of both a proposed high school science lesson plan promoting intelligent design and a tactic to promote design using Teach the Controversy promoted by the American think tank, Discovery Institute, originators of the intelligent design movement, as part of...
- Free Speech on Evolution
- Intelligent design in politicsIntelligent design in politicsThe intelligent design movement has conducted a far-reaching organized campaign largely in the United States that promotes a neo-creationist religious agenda calling for broad social, academic and political changes centering around intelligent design....
- Neo-creationismNeo-creationismNeo-creationism is a movement whose goal is to restate creationism in terms more likely to be well received by the public, policy makers, educators, and the scientific community. It aims to re-frame the debate over the origins of life in non-religious terms and without appeals to scripture. This...
- Stand up for science
- Teach the controversyTeach the ControversyTeach the Controversy is the name of a Discovery Institute campaign to promote intelligent design, a variant of traditional creationism, while attempting to discredit evolution in United States public high school science courses...
External links
- Index to Creationist Claims at TalkOrigins ArchiveTalkOrigins ArchiveThe TalkOrigins Archive is a website that presents mainstream science perspectives on the antievolution claims of young-earth, old-earth, and "intelligent design" creationists...
- Spontaneous Generation and the Origin of Life by John S. Wilkins
- Archived Audio Files of Texas SBOE meetings
- Transcript (and link to audio file) of a lecture given by Texas SBOE Chairman Don McLeroy on Evolution and Creationism