Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels and Darwin

[Elduran]

Oh, sorry about that. I guess I got confused because social evolutoin and the theory of evolution both use the same word: evolution. So does that mean that social evolution should be excluded as a topic on this forum, even though the word Evolution is used in it's description? Or that we should only talk about what Darwin said about evolution and we should not talk about what Marx said about evolution?

Induction: mathematical proof from one term to another.

Induction: generation of electrical current using magnetic fields.

Same word, different fields completely. Do I really need to say anything more at this stage?

 

[InterestedAtheist]

It might be an interesting question as to whether Marx did have an influence on Darwin. Maybe he did; I don't know myself. Maybe Darwin did read Marx and think, hmm, this does remind me of the ways certain classes of animals compete...and maybe this did help Darwin to come up with the theory of evolution. OK. Interesting question.

HOWEVER! I have deep misgivings. I fear that what we may see hear is some creationist, or fundamentalist critic of evolution saying, "See! Darwin was influenced by Marx! Evolution is tainted by Communism! Evolution is evil!" or something similar.

So it's worth mentioning now: Darwin was a big help in developing the idea of evolution; but it doesn't matter at all what we find out about his personal beliefs; science has taken Darwin's theory, tested it, revised it, refined it and made it it's own. To give an extreme example, if we found out that Darwin was in fact a secret Young Earth Creationist who wrote Origin of Species as a joke (!!!) it would have no impact at all on the modern science of evolution.

 

[RN4CHRIST]

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