Ben Stein Takes on Neo-Darwinism in "Expelled"

[Person Man]

Some evolutionary social theory can reenforce our Christian idea of equality. In evolutionary theory, every being has a niche and therefore, diversity is good because it creates a more fail-safe system. Also, those who are not today the "fittest" in our environment could one day be more fit in a future environment. Therefore, the weakest matter as much as the strongest as "The first will be the last and the last, first".

[Person Man]

No, that just sounds super-hypocritical. What individual rights DOES Stein believe in, anyway? The right to do whatever you want so long as you don't get caught? lol.

[Person Man]

One thing that I find interesting is how you can be both a social darwinist and a creationist. I saw a really article about Buckley's Fusionism, but I didn't see any explaination.

[Person Man]

...or maybe social darwinism and biological darwinism have nothing to do with eachother. In fact, what we call social darwinism came before biological darwinism and was known as "social statics". This entire idea of social statics is based obeying the natural order. This is where conservativism comes in. Conservativism isn't about being opposed to change in policy, its about being opposed to changing the natural order- or quite simply- "the way things are". Perhaps conservativism can accept one at the expense of the other because social darwinism is about obeying the natural order while biological darwinism holds that the natural order can be changed and therefore doesn't need to be followed. Therefore, under this scheme- you can "pick and choose" amoung several different ideas and schools of though and come out with a coherent ideology.

For example-

Economic Conservativism- It is the natural order that those on top dominate those on the bottom, it is what the design of the universe is about. Also, the environment takes an inferior position to man and if for him for the picking. Any changes to this natural order cut people off from the natural order and that is "unsustainable".

Social Conservativism-  What is natural is what continues on. Things such as evolution challenge what happens now and abortion and homosexuality are outside of what is succesful now. Same thing with racism and prayer in schools. These institutions prevent our societal universe from being changed. It grants universal values and a place for each person so that there may be harmony.

Neo-Conservativism- This is in place for two-fold. Constant Conflict pervents the forces of change from being entrained into the universe. Constant Conflict creates devotion to the universe by creating the threat of eminent pain for trying to change the universe.