The Politics of Evolution PDF
Preview The Politics of Evolution
THE POLITICS OF EVOLUTION The controversy over teaching evolution or creationism in American public schools offers a policy paradox. Two sets of values—science and democracy—are in conflict when it comes to the question of what to teach in public school biol- ogy classes. Prindle illuminates this tension between American public opinion, which clearly prefers that creationism be taught in public school biology classes versus the democratic ideal held by virtually every person in the country. An elite consisting of scientists, professional educators, judges, and business leaders by and large are determined to ignore public preferences and teach only science in science classes despite the majority opinion to the contrary. So how have the political process and the Constitutional law establishment managed to thwart the people’s will in this self-proclaimed democracy? Drawing on a vast body of work across the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, Prindle explores the rhetoric of the evolution issue, explores its his- tory, examines the nature of the public opinion that causes it, evaluates the Con- stitutional jurisprudence that upholds it, and explains the political dynamic that keeps it going. This incisive analysis is a must-read in a wide range of disciplines and for anyone who wants to understand the politics of biology. David F. Prindle is a professor in the Department of Government at the Uni- versity of Texas at Austin. He has published research in the areas of voting and parties, energy policy, the presidency, and the politics of the entertainment media. “In this eminently readable and thoroughly researched volume, political scientist David Prindle addresses the political implications of evolution, and particularly the debate over the teaching of evolution and creationism, including intelligent design, in public schools. Prindle argues convincingly that politics and science are inextricably intertwined; his thought-provoking message will spark discussion in the evolutionary sciences, history, philosophy, religion, and education, and should be read by anyone interested in the evolution–creationism controversy.” Dr. Patricia H. Kelley, University of North Carolina Wilmington THE POLITICS OF EVOLUTION David F. Prindle First published 2015 by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 and by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2015 Taylor & Francis The right of David F. Prindle to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Prindle, David F. (David Forrest), 1948– The politics of evolution / David Prindle. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Evolution (Biology)—Political aspects. 2. Evolution (Biology)— Religious aspects 3. Evolution (Biology)—Public opinion. 4. Darwin, Charles, 1809–1882—Influence. I. Title. QH366.2.P743 2015 576.8—dc23 2014042230 ISBN: 978-1-138-88783-1 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-138-88784-8 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-71389-2 (ebk) Typeset in Bembo by Apex CoVantage, LLC For Matthew, Caulette, Lylli, and Ivy. The future. This page intentionally left blank CONTENTS List of T ables ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction: The Politics of Evolution 1 1 Biology: The Most Political Science 8 2 Evolution and Metaphor 33 3 Evolution and Religion 54 4 Evolution and Public Opinion 89 5 The Jurisprudence of Evolution 116 6 Evolution and the Party Battle 137 Bibliography 165 Index 181 This page intentionally left blank TABLES 3.1 Acceptance and Rejection of Evolution 59 4.1 Cross-National Acceptance of Evolution 91 4.2 Statistical Relationships for Secular, Compromise, and Creationist Survey Responses 97 4.3 Intercorrelations of Opinions Supporting and Rejecting Evolution in Texas 100 4.4 Movements in Opinion Concerning the Origin and Development of Life on Earth 108 4.5 Movements in Opinion Concerning the Evolution of Human Beings from Animals 109 4.6 Movements in Opinion Concerning the Origin and Development of Human Beings 110 4.7 Difference-in-Differences Analysis 114
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