The nature of adaptations in British Natural Theology. Historiographical analysis and metatheoretical consequences

BLANCO, DANIEL

Saint Neots, Cambridge, Inglaterra

Congreso; Interdisciplinary Conference of Science and Religion; 2008

Andrews University

In his master work, Darwin clearly says what are the things his theory is meant to explain: the origin of adaptations. Regarding the nature of them, Ospovat states that through several years (unless until 1856) Darwin thought that his theory had to give account of optimal or perfect structures, ascribing this to the influence of preceding devout naturalists whose writings Darwin read with care. After the exposition of Ospovat position, it is partially attacked using significant historical sources. In short, this contribution has two aims: (1) historiographically, to introduce textual evidence that leads us to conclude (against Ospovat position) that certain natural theologians did not unrestrictly hold the perfection of adaptation (and they give interesting theological reasons to justify that, such us the completeness of the “chain of being”, the forgotten implications of their panglossianism; and/or the physical consequences of the fall). We will concentrate our analysis on the Bridgewater Treatise written by William Kirby, which Darwin read during 1836 (On the power, wisdom, and goodness of god, as manifested in the creation of animals, and in their history, habits, and instincts). Lyell`s and Paley`s works are quoted too. If this is correct (that is, if there is no difference between the nature of what evolutionary theory and natural theology expect to find in nature), one can not use the imperfection of natural structures to dismiss XIX Century Natural Theology, as Gould did in the first three essays of his The Panda`s Thumb (whether one can do that using different strategies). And (2) metatheoretically, and following (1) and other considerations, it is claimed that the adaptations the theory of evolution by natural selection talks about, and according to what appear in The Origin of Species, are (using Sneedian terminology) “non theoretical terms” regarding this theory (adaptations would not be a conceptual contribution of the darwinian theory).