Saturday, December 14, 2019

Evolution's Irrelevance To Theological Metaphysics

The subject of evolution is one of the first things that might come to mind when someone in the contemporary Western world begins to contemplate whether or not they believe that a deity exists.  Unfortunately, this leaves many chasing after scientific and philosophical red herrings when pondering the veracity of basic theism.  Even without focusing on the severe epistemological limitations of the scientific method, it is folly to think that the veracity or falsity of evolution could in any way confirm or disprove the existence of God.  Evolution is irrelevant to most philosophical and theological issues, and especially to the ones that are most vital.

The logical necessity of an uncaused cause, whether or not it is the exact divine entity described in any particular religion, is unaffected by scientific and historical occurrences.  If evolution occurred, there is still an uncaused cause, as logical necessities do not hinge on contingent scientific processes; if evolution did not occur, there is still an uncaused cause for the same reason there would be one if life has evolved.  The subjects of abiogenesis and the development of living organisms are, of course, worth acknowledging in a theological context from time to time, but they are neither epistemologically nor metaphysically relevant to the matter of God's existence.

Those who debate the issue of evolution as if it is a foundational philosophical issue waste their breath, time, and whatever intellectual ability they might otherwise possess.  Evolution is of trivial importance in almost every regard except that of scientific investigation, having nothing to do with epistemology, ultimate metaphysics, moral obligations, and so forth.  Even if it was demonstrably true, there is little evolution directly offers to theism beyond relatively minor details that would only affect select background information about human development across history.

One can prove the existence of the uncaused cause while sitting on a chair at home, as logical truths are accessible to all who seek them, and yet Christians and atheists continue to treat evolution as if it is the great indicator that either theism or atheism is true.  There is no need to consult the scientific ideas of any era when discovering strictly logical facts, and the existence of an uncaused cause is among them.  It is evolution, not the uncaused cause, that is of small metaphysical importance; it is evolution, not the existence of the uncaused cause, that is not completely verifiable.  However, if the necessity of an uncaused cause was not logically demonstrable, evolution would still be wholly irrelevant to the veracity of theism.


[1].  https://thechristianrationalist.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-uncaused-cause.html

No comments:

Post a Comment