The intense focus of attention on a man who is dead tends to be a site for the development of myth. Legends grow up around famous men, obscuring their ordinary humanity and exaggerating their great deeds.
Charles Darwin is just such a man. How far is it from admiration and devotion to outright worship?
This thought came from a reference to Orthodox Darwinism whichb made me wonder if the slow transformation of Darwinism into a religion is already beginning. I am not suggesting that this process will happen in our lifetime, but are the seeds of this development in place?
This thought may be nothing more than my attraction to irony, but I find it interesting.
An interesting hypothesis, but I do not believe that Darwin will be deified.
The main reason I hold this belief is due to the fact that we know that Darwin’s writings and hypotheses regarding evolution were due to natural selection. He did not claim that there was any unseen force like god making these changes, only time. Change occurred as a means of survival, not through divine intervention.
The very notion of this phenomenon almost necessitates the abscence or at least indifference of a god. Thus, why would anyone deifie a person who advocated the opposite viewpoint?
Now don’t misunderstand, I’m not claiming Darwin was an atheist, I’m just saying his theory can exist without a god. Thus there is no need for he, himself, to become one. Any logical thinker or ILP legend can agree with this, yes?
"In lonely gas stations with mini-marts
You’ll find rows of them for sale
Liquor-filled statues of Elvis Presley
Screw his head off and
Drink like a vampire
His disciples flock to such a fitting shrine
Sprawled across from his graceless mansion
A shopping mall
Filled with prayer rugs and Elvis dolls
And I wonder
Yeah I wonder
Will Elvis take the place of Jesus in a thousand years
Religious wars
Barbaric laws
Bloodshed worldwide
Over what’s left of his myth
For me, Darwin is the greatest scientist of all time. Sure, there maybe more intelligent, sexier science floating around – and much more to come – but nobody has ever produced an idea with such devastating and profound consequences. As a living creature, perhaps I’m biased. Having said that, I don’t believe Darwin would, should or could be deified.
I don’t think he could for the simple, but deliciously ironic, reason that his wonderful idea lacks a soul. His idea lacks soul in the sense of a promise of eternal love and happiness…. in the sense there’s no ideal to strive toward…. in the sense there’s no patriotic principles to kill and die for. His idea is literally and emotionally soulless.
I think your playful idea Xanderman is based on opposites derived from substituting extremes (as in love and hate). But I think Darwin’s idea is a real opposite – not of substitution but of negation as is ‘indifference’ (no emotion) is to ‘love’ (extreme emotion).
It’s difficult to worship a man who takes away the very thing you need to worship him for.
PS I’m aware many religious people weld their beliefs with Darwins theory (I used to be one) but I’m not going there now
Ah ha! Well thay maybe I have missed the target. It is not Darwin the man but pehaps Darwin’s idea itself that could be the subject of myth-ification.
Could you see the idea itself getting elevated to mythic and legendary status?
The idea of evolution has already strongly infiltrated New Age spirituality. There it gets mixed with the idea of a universal teleos, all spirits progressing towards an ultimate utopia.
Would you consider this New Age blend a corruption of the Darwin’s idea?
I danced on Darwins grave in Westminister Abbey heheh… Hey the guys on English money, that in our capitalist world, is I think as close to deification as one gets.
Hello Brother Xander, how art thou? Hello my F(R)IEND(S).
Xander, I don’t think that we will ever deify Darwin but I think it is possible that we will one day worship his theories. Survival of the fittest is an idea already rooted in our (capitalist) culture. How far away are we from literally breeding according to traits we find ‘superior’ to others? If this (remotely possible situation) ever happens you can wager that we will look back on Darwin’s theories as our new faith our new religion.
By the way, can I be the new Pontiff of Darwianity?
