MU hosts evolution lecture

Professor Elliott Sober brings a philosophical viewpoint to debate.

By Allie Blood

Published Sept. 21, 2007

Evolution and intelligent design squared off Thursday when the Philosophy Department played host to University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Elliott Sober, who lectured on the theories.

"I came because I was trying to form my own opinion on the topic, I wasn't sure what to believe in," MU sophomore Tyler McKee said.

Sober has given a number of lectures during his 33-year tenure at the University of Wisconsin, and he has lectured on theistic evolution in Montana and Delaware.

To begin the lecture, Sober said creationism and evolutionary theory are two polar views, and there is a middle ground. This middle ground is theistic evolution, a theory which supports that God uses evolution as part of creation.

Sober said the theory has existed for years, and he made the point that while evolution is a current issue, theistic evolution theory often goes ignored or unmentioned.

Sober said the debate has political significance.

"It's in the air, and philosophy has something to contribute," he said.

To explain the theory, Sober cited William Paley's "Natural Theory," written in 1802, as a pre-Darwinian look at evolution. "Natural Theory" supported the existence of God with the observation that complex things, such as people, exist.

Sober said the science of the book was flawed, but philosophers have supported the presented logic and reason. He said evolution by natural selection is not random but a biased process.

Next, Sober spoke on biochemist Michael Behe's concept of irreducible complexity. Sober used common examples to debunk the theory, which states that evolution was a linear process.

This method of breaking down complex theories helped audience members understand the concepts he presented.

"He was quite confident and very good at using plain and easy-to-understand language to explain something that's quite controversial," MU junior Justin Butts said.

Sober said Charles Darwin, who developed the theory of evolution, believed in God and evolution because neither one can fully explain the natural world. He said when one argues that God is the only answer, he or she also nullifies the need for science in all aspects of the world.