Essay on Ernst Mayrs What Evolution Is Creationism vs...

Ernst Mayrs What Evolution Is: Creationism vs Evolution The Bible contends that God created the extant world, imposing order on the preexisting chaos. Darwins theory of evolution introduced another notion of the world, posing a great challenge to the Christian tenets. According to it, all organisms are not the creations of a supreme being, but have descended from a simple unicellular organism that somehow developed a lipid membrane, could store its genetic information and transcribe it when necessary. Darwin dared suggest that the extant world is by far not perfect or stable as depicted in the Bible, but is constantly changing. Summarizing the major points of Darwins story, Mayr does not tell a new one. So, what is the aim of What†¦show more content†¦Because niches were freed, new animal species began propagating trying to utilize the available space. In the due course of time, the species gave rise to other species and reshaped the planet, imposing an entirely new order. So, chance eventually creates order characterized by cert ain patterns of life. Like changes in the environment, the emergence of the specific patterns cannot be predicted. Examining various factors that influence populations, Mayr deduces that evolution itself depends on chance. His implications of the role of chance in the shaping of life make us reconsider our notions of knowledge of the surrounding world. If it is constantly transforming itself due to random events, can we get to know reality? Our inability to predict and forestall events undermines our confidence and feeling of safety. A fear of the unknown then emerges. Will we be able to adapt in response to the change in the environment? Will we muster enough courage to part with the past? Should we happen to fail, natural selection may act against us. The role of randomness challenges our moral beliefs as well. According to Mayrs account of Darwins theory, no species are superb to others. Because the ultimate goal of organisms is to survive and successfully reproduce, spreading their genetic material, they try to utilize more space to increase their chances. Whether species will become