Radical: Charles Darwin 1809 – 1882
Charles Darwin is most known for his evolutionary studies on the Galapagos Islands. His “Journey of the Beagle” brought him around the world where he developed one of the most controversial theories known to modern man. His development of theory of evolution would be a thirst to understand the transmutation of species, natural selection and the geographical distribution of wildlife. Evolution would rock the foundations of theology.
Darwin’s struggled with his own Anglican theological views as he developed his theories. He was said to have been a believer in the literal interpretation of the Bible. He would often quote the Bible as an authority of morality. With the theories of natural selection he could see no proof of a God’s influence or an extension of the work of a deity. Soon Darwin would see a paradox in his evolutionary thought and any thought of religion. Later he would admit that agnosticism would be a better way to explain his state of mind.
What is probably the most controversial idea that Darwin has been credited with is that of Eugenics. Darwin believed that the aiding in the weak to survive would be interfering with natural selection. He saw complications in his theory of Eugenics due to the possibility of the abuse of the science. His fears would be realized as Hitler used the methods of Eugenics to try and exterminate the Jews in the name of the emergence of the Aryan race.
From the ideas of Eugenics, Biometrics has been developed. You may not realize that biometrics is being used right now with the process of finger print databases, DNA databases, and healthcare digitalization. These databases could be used control populations, genetic manipulation and engineering, and possible discriminatory activity. In a perfect world these developments could be a great value to a society but in the hands of a Communist regime could be valuable to implement a Eugenic methodology.
It is hard to label Darwin as a radical since many of his studies have proven to be so valuable to the development of the human condition. What makes Darwin’s overall contribution that of a Radical is his pragmatic approach to human design and the lack of credit given to any creator. To think that there is no divine design behind the mechanisms of the human body and the universe for that matter is extremely arrogant, egotistical, pompous and quite naive. I can recall in my studies of history that at one time people were killed for the belief that the earth was round and the earth wasn’t the center of the universe. To believe that God doesn’t exist and can’t be proven is simply a motion to ignore the brilliance of the science that could in-fact be the formula to his plan.
