Encyclopedia of Evolution.pdf - Online Reading Center

Foreword
The theory and facts of evolution have been part of modern science for almost 150
years, since the publication of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, and yet,
the public at large—especially, but not only, in the United States—still has little
understanding of evolution, with almost 50 percent of Americans rejecting the
Darwinian view of the history of life outright.
It is for this reason that Stanley Rice’s Encyclopedia of Evolution is a particularly
welcome addition to the popular literature on evolution. Until recently, most
professional scientists have simply not deemed it worth their time and effort to talk
to the public about the nature and importance of what they do. Even some of the
notable exceptions have been somewhat mixed blessings, from Stephen Jay Gould’s
tiresome politically motivated crusades against biological “interpretations” of the
human condition to Richard Dawkins’s equally misconceived all-out attacks on
religion.
It is not that science has no political, religious, or philosophical implications.
On the contrary, it is precisely because of such implications that it is important for
people to understand both the nature of scientific claims and the specific content of
such claims. It is for a similar reason that while we do not want a nation of, say,
economists or lawyers, we do want people to be able to understand enough about
the economy and the law to make informed decisions in their own lives.
Accordingly, one of the encyclopedia’s interesting features is a set of essays
interspersed among the entries. Rice writes in a balanced and informative way
about several “hot” issues where an understanding of evolutionary biology is relevant,
although it cannot by itself be sufficient. In particular, the essays on genetic
determinism, on the (biological) reasons for death, and whether an evolutionary
scientist can also be a religious person, ought to stimulate some healthy level of
thinking in the interested reader. Of course, within the scope of this reference
book, such essays can only whet the appetite and provide a window on the often
huge and intimidating literature concerned with the issues, but that is exactly what
a good book is—a bait to the reader to delve more deeply, to begin a journey that
will hopefully continue with twists and turns for her whole life.
Socrates claimed that the root of all human evil is simply ignorance: If only
people knew better, if they spent a bit more time inquiring and examining their
lives, all would be good. I am not quite as optimistic (or naive) as Socrates, but
I do think that part of the reason we see a surge of fundamentalism around the
world, with science being attacked by people ranging from the local preacher to
the president of the United States, is (partly) because there are so few books like
Rice’s Encyclopedia of Evolution.
Massimo Pigliucci, Ph.D.
Professor of Ecology and Evolution
SUNY–Stony Brook
www.genotypebyenvironment.org
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