Evolution is a Myth!

[brightlights]

Or, at least, functions as one. So does Christianity. A myth is a meta-narrative you believe about the world that serves to answer profound human questions and give meaning to life. In other words, the most foundational piece of your worldview is a story. At the heart of your thinking, valuing, and decision making is the story that you believe about the world. Your meta-narrative tells you where you came from, how you got here, why you're here, why you suffer, and where you're going. As a result it tells you what to value and tells you what your life means. A story is the only thing that can give you values and meaning. The Christian story goes something like this:

1. Creation
2. Fall
3. Redemption
4. Restoration

There are several implications for this that we can get into in this thread (such as: how can you argue with a story?) but for now would you be willing to share the basic structure of the myth that governs your life? How does your meta-narrative go?

 

[Elioenai26]

Or, at least, functions as one. So does Christianity. A myth is a meta-narrative you believe about the world that serves to answer profound human questions and give meaning to life. In other words, the most foundational piece of your worldview is a story. At the heart of your thinking, valuing, and decision making is the story that you believe about the world. Your meta-narrative tells you where you came from, how you got here, why you're here, why you suffer, and where you're going. As a result it tells you what to value and tells you what your life means. A story is the only thing that can give you values and meaning. The Christian story goes something like this:

1. Creation
2. Fall
3. Redemption
4. Restoration

There are several implications for this that we can get into in this thread (such as: how can you argue with a story?) but for now would you be willing to share the basic structure of the myth that governs your life? How does your meta-narrative go?

Mine is The Christian Narrative. I think your explanation of the meta-narrative is a good way of breaking down what a worldview is. It has also been referred to as a box top for the puzzle pieces of life. Our box top is our meta-narrative. It is how we see all the pieces of life put together holistically.

I am guessing that all meta-narratives must fall into one of two categories, supernatural or natural. The Christian narrative would be a supernatural meta-narrative.

 

[Paradoxum]

How about you stop using the word 'myth' in an incorrect way?

Myth: Myth | Define Myth at Dictionary.com

1.
a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature.
2.
stories or matter of this kind: realm of myth.
3.
any invented story, idea, or concept: His account of the event is pure myth.
4.
an imaginary or fictitious thing or person.
5.
an unproved or false collective belief that is used to justify a social institution.

You could have just said meta-narrative, but you needlessly stuck in the word myth. It seems to me highly likely that you are doing this for emotional manipulation. Myths are unproven stories, so you try to attach it to evolution so that the implications of the word 'myth' slide on the scientific theory of evolution.

But I guess mine would go something like:

1) Reality
2) The Big Bang and star system formation
3) Evolution and the creation of the subjective point of view
4) The evolution of self-consciousness, high level reasoning, and the objective point of view.
5) The start of civilisation
6) Death as non-existence

But more work needs to be done on the nature of consciousness, the beginning of the universe, and potentially beyond the universe.

 

[brightlights]

I do not consider dictionaries to be authoritative in defining philosophical terms considering that one of the jobs of philosophy is to define complicated terms.

And I use "myth" to entice people to click on the thread!

 

[madaz]

Evolution is a fact, most modern intelligent Christians accept that.

Christianity is based on myth.

 

[brightlights]

Did you read the OP?

A myth can be a fact too.

 

[brightlights]

But I guess mine would go something like:

1) Reality
2) The Big Bang and star system formation
3) Evolution
4) The evolution of self-consciousness and high level reasoning.
5) The start of civilisation.
6) Death as non-existence

Thanks. Is your death the end of the story of the universe?

 

[Ripheus27]

[Evolution, for example] is a meta-narrative you believe about the world that serves to answer profound human questions and give meaning to life. In other words, the most foundational piece of your worldview is a story. At the heart of your thinking, valuing, and decision making is the story that you believe about the world.

Your implication is that people who believe in evolution do so as if the theory were an axiom or some similar kind of premise in the architectonic of their judgments about reality. The theory of evolution is no such thing. It is the extremely well-reasoned conclusion to a complex argument.

Similarly, actually, the Christian doctrine of redemption from sin is not, or rather does not have to be, a foundational belief but may in some form (as in Immanuel Kant's Religion within the Limits of Reason Alone) be an inference from other, more foundational, doctrines.

 

[brightlights]

The belief: "evolution is true" does not have to be mythic but it certainly can be.

 

[madaz]

Manipulating the sense of a word to create attention or suit ones desired conclusion does not actually alter the true definition of the word.

 

[Elioenai26]

Manipulating the sense of a word to create attention or suit ones desired conclusion does not actually alter the true definition of the word.

There is no true definition of the word "myth" as if there is one and only one way the word can be used. There are several definitions and ways the word can be used. Context and the intent of the person using the word must be taken into account as well. This should be common knowledge.

 

[seeking Christ]

Common and knowledge have no business being connected in any discussion pertaining to philosophy!

 

[brightlights]

"Myth" for the purposes of this thread is taken to mean something akin to how Joseph Campbell uses it. It's taken to mean: a meta-narrative that explains the nature and direction of the universe and supplies an individual with values and meaning. In other words, the story about the world that you believe to be true. In this sense, evolution can be both myth and fact.

 

[brightlights]

Common and knowledge have no business being connected in any discussion pertaining to philosophy!

I don't know what philosophy is other than knowledge that's common to man.

 

[seeking Christ]

That explains why there are philosophical debates?

 

[Paradoxum]

I do not consider dictionaries to be authoritative in defining philosophical terms considering that one of the jobs of philosophy is to define complicated terms.

True. But there is no reason to consider the why you are using the word to be in any way true or useful. It is manipulative and dishonest.

And I use "myth" to entice people to click on the thread!

That is fair enough.

Did you read the OP?

A myth can be a fact too.

No it can't. That isn't what myth means. Of course you can just make up definitions, but that isn't helpful. You might as well be saying that charity is immoral, because you have changed the definition of 'immoral' to mean 'moral'.

"Myth" for the purposes of this thread is taken to mean something akin to how Joseph Campbell uses it. It's taken to mean: a meta-narrative that explains the nature and direction of the universe and supplies an individual with values and meaning. In other words, the story about the world that you believe to be true. In this sense, evolution can be both myth and fact.

And I reject that use of the word. It is dishonest and dangerous. It reduces science to the level of fictional story. You could have used the word meta-narrative, but instead insist on using the divisive word 'myth'.

It is no better the stories of Hercules historical. It is misleading, and is an attack on real history. It is promoting the propagation of ignorance.

So please use the word meta-narrative, and not manipulate people with the use of the word 'myth'. I know I word my disagreement quite strongly, and I am sorry if it is unneeded, by I am absolutely against the reckless redefinition of words. Reckless because it hints at science being fiction.

Thanks. Is your death the end of the story of the universe?

Well it is the end for me. Either the universe will expand forever until everything is gone, or there will be a Big Crunch. Or, perhaps technology will grow to the point that it can save the universe.

 

[seeking Christ]

No it can't. That isn't what myth means.

Actually he's right. Neither myth nor legend requires fiction. Myth doesn't require fact, but it doesn't preclude it.

Well it is the end for me. Either the universe will expand forever until everything is gone, or there will be a Big Crunch. Or, perhaps technology will grow to the point that it can save the universe.

Mama always told me I was too big for my britches

 

[Paradoxum]

Actually he's right. Neither myth nor legend requires fiction. Myth doesn't require fact, but it doesn't preclude it.

Actually he's not. Myth and legend require fiction.

 

[brightlights]

Let me explain myself a little better. Something functions as myth if it is a story that explains origins, suffering, and provides meaning for life. A myth tells us about our place in the universe. Myths are often false but they can also be true. For Christians, the story of the Christ is both myth and fact. For atheistic evolutionists, the grand narrative of evolution is both myth and fact. It is fact because it is true. It is myth because it plays a mythic role in our lives in that it tells us how we fit into the universe and supplies us with values and meaning. All people have myth.

This is why the grand evolutionary narrative functions as myth:

1. It tells us where we came from (the universe, natural phenomena, non-life)
2. It tells us why we're here (there is no reason)
3. It explains why we suffer (because everything suffers. Suffering is part of the essence of life.)
4. It supplies us with values (individual freedom, passing on genes, liberal democracy)
5. It gives meaning to our lives (there is no meaning other than the meaning we create. So create meaning!)

This is why I say that evolution serves a mythic purpose in our lives.

Of course, if you dislike the term used in this way so much I would also be satisfied in saying that evolution is a narrative or evolution is a story. Are you ok with those terms instead?

 

[Dave Ellis]

I do not consider dictionaries to be authoritative in defining philosophical terms considering that one of the jobs of philosophy is to define complicated terms.

And I use "myth" to entice people to click on the thread!

Your use of the word myth confused the hell out of me. I re-read it a few times to figure out where your argument against evolution was.

My recommendation is you use words that actually describe your position... otherwise you're just muddying the issue