Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Kevin Dorner · 04-08-2002, 06:16 PM

No more passive acceptance of misquoting...

<a href="http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_medical/story.jsp?story=283041" target="_blank">Eminent biologist hits back at the creationists who 'hijacked' his theory for their own ends</a>

Quote:

Stephen Jay Gould, one of the great evolutionary biologists of our time, will publish his "magnum opus", this month, in which he lambasts creationists for deliberately distorting his theories to undermine the teaching of Darwinism in schools.

Professor Gould accuses creationists of having exploited the sometimes bitter dispute between him and his fellow Darwinists to promulgate the myth that the theory of evolution is riven with doubts and is, therefore, just as valid as biblical explanations for life on Earth.

The distinguished professor of zoology at Harvard University, whose 1,400-page book, The Structure of Evolutionary Theory, has been 10 years in the writing, was intimately involved with the fight against creationist teaching during the 1970s and 1980s in the American Deep South.

Strange... if <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0674006135/qid=thesecularweb/" target="_blank">this is the work Gould will be publishing</a> it appears to already be out.

Writer@Large · 04-08-2002, 06:53 PM

Where's randman when he really needs to read something ...

--W@L

pseudobug · 04-08-2002, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Writer@Large:
Where's randman when he really needs to read something ...

--W@L

Ah, c'mon now, W@L. You're giving the rantman too much credit. He's never read anything regarding evolution outside of creationist screeds judging from his posts.

Silent Dave · 04-08-2002, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kevin Dorner:
No more passive acceptance of misquoting...

<a href="http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_medical/story.jsp?story=283041" target="_blank">Eminent biologist hits back at the creationists who 'hijacked' his theory for their own ends</a>

Strange... if <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0674006135/qid=thesecularweb/" target="_blank">this is the work Gould will be publishing</a> it appears to already be out.

Perhaps there are different publishing dates in the US and UK.

Dave

Bill · 04-10-2002, 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Silent Dave:
Perhaps there are different publishing dates in the US and UK.

It takes longer to publish a book in the UK because you have to go back and re-edit the book to do such things as change "color" to "colour."

== Bill

Bill · 04-10-2002, 01:16 AM

If you wanted something to recommend that somebody read for an overview of evolutionary theory, I would not recommend Gould's somewhat rambling 1,400 pages. I would instead recommend <a href="http://www.secweb.org/bookstore/bookdetail.asp?BookID=822" target="_blank">What Evolution Is</a> by <a href="http://www.secweb.org/bookstore/author.asp?AuthorID=540" target="_blank">Ernst Mayr</a>. Even at age 97, Mayr's 200 pages is far more cogent (IMHO) than Gould could ever hope to be. Mayr's book argues strongly for the position of "evolution as fact rather than theory."

== Bill

Bill · 04-10-2002, 01:20 AM

For those who are still interested in Gould's book, it is available from the II Bookstore: <a href="http://www.secweb.org/bookstore/bookdetail.asp?BookID=819" target="_blank">The Structure of Evolutionary Theory</a>. Gould sees this book as the antithesis to the "New Synthesis" developed in the 1940s, and thus a precursor to a newer-"New Synthesis" for the 21st century (in Hegelian terms, of course).

== Bill

Nialler · 04-10-2002, 04:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bill:
It takes longer to publish a book in the UK because you have to go back and re-edit the book to do such things as change "color" to "colour."

== Bill

Yes,

Unfortunately we see many of your books later here because to have to be translated into English!!!!

Kosh · 04-10-2002, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Nialler:

Unfortunately we see many of your books later here because to have to be translated into English!!!!

Utter cobbler... surley thou dost jest!

Boro Nut · 04-10-2002, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Silent Dave:
Perhaps there are different publishing dates in the US and UK.

No, its down to the silly habit America has of quoting dates arse over tit. This is the reason Christmas day 12/25 is 25th December in America, whereas everyone else knows its really the 12th of Octembruary.

Boro Nut

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04-08-2002, 06:53 PM	#2
Writer@Large Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 7,198	Where's randman when he really needs to read something ... --W@L

04-10-2002, 01:16 AM	#6
Bill Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Gatorville, Florida Posts: 4,334	If you wanted something to recommend that somebody read for an overview of evolutionary theory, I would not recommend Gould's somewhat rambling 1,400 pages. I would instead recommend <a href="http://www.secweb.org/bookstore/bookdetail.asp?BookID=822" target="_blank">What Evolution Is</a> by <a href="http://www.secweb.org/bookstore/author.asp?AuthorID=540" target="_blank">Ernst Mayr</a>. Even at age 97, Mayr's 200 pages is far more cogent (IMHO) than Gould could ever hope to be. Mayr's book argues strongly for the position of "evolution as fact rather than theory." == Bill

04-10-2002, 01:20 AM	#7
Bill Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Gatorville, Florida Posts: 4,334	For those who are still interested in Gould's book, it is available from the II Bookstore: <a href="http://www.secweb.org/bookstore/bookdetail.asp?BookID=819" target="_blank">The Structure of Evolutionary Theory</a>. Gould sees this book as the antithesis to the "New Synthesis" developed in the 1940s, and thus a precursor to a newer-"New Synthesis" for the 21st century (in Hegelian terms, of course). == Bill

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