[lbo-talk] Florida will teach evolution but only as theory

Miles Jackson cqmv at pdx.edu
Fri Feb 22 09:19:04 PST 2008


uvj at vsnl.com wrote:
> Reuters.com
>
> Florida will teach evolution but only as theory
> http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1929595320080219?sp=true
>
>
Apparently the debate is about whether or not to refer to the "scientific theory of evolution" in Florida public schools. The fact that this is seen as contentious by both sides in the debate reflects a profound misunderstanding about how science works. It is absolutely true that evolution is a scientific theory. However, this does not imply that the theory is tentative or poorly supported by evidence; rather, a good scientific theory is consistent with existing evidence and helps us make accurate predictions about new data as they are collected. The notion that there are certain scientific "facts" that are "proved" on one hand and tentative, debated "theories" on the other implies that the goal of science is to gather data so that tentative "theories" become "proven facts". This is a profound misrepresentation of scientific practice. Scientific knowledge consists of well-developed theories that explain the data; it is not simply a catalogue of "proven facts".

So the crucial question here is not: "is evolution a theory or a fact?" (That, to put it bluntly, is pointless question that should be ignored.) Rather, the relevant questions are: "Is evolution a scientific theory that is well-supported by evidence?", "Is there any evidence inconsistent with the theory?", and "Are there any competing scientific theories that can be used to explain the some or all of the relevant data?"

Miles



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