Contemporary Darwinism as a worldview

Area of Science:

• Philosophy of Science
• Evolutionary Biology
• Science Communication

Background:

• Contemporary Darwinism's public-facing aspects promote worldview ambitions, extending beyond biology into social policy, politics, and ethics.
• Popular Darwinian works deflect associations with eugenics and social Darwinism.
• Critics of Darwinism as a worldview fall into two categories: Intelligent Design advocates/secular philosophers and scholars in rhetoric of science/science communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the extent to which Darwinism functions as a worldview.
• To examine why commentators' preconceptions about Darwinism's nature distort analysis.
• To argue that Darwinism's worldview implications are often dismissed due to commentators' own worldviews.

Main Methods:

• Cataloguing the ways Darwinism functions as a worldview.
• Analyzing critical perspectives on Darwinism's scope.
• Identifying the influence of commentators' worldviews on their interpretations.

Main Results:

• Darwinism demonstrably functions as a worldview, encompassing more than just biological theory.
• The distinction between science and worldview is often blurred in discussions of Darwinism.
• Scholars upholding a strict science/worldview distinction may misinterpret Darwinism's broader implications.

Conclusions:

• Darwinism's nature as a worldview is evident in its application to social, political, and ethical domains.
• A failure to recognize Darwinism as a worldview can lead to analytical distortions.
• Commentators' own worldviews can prevent them from fully accepting or analyzing Darwinism's comprehensive implications.