I find myself disgusted with the political climate today. Apparently, evolution was mentioned at the Republican debates of late, and now there is debate amongst conservatives about whether or not the theory supports their values or no. An article from the New York times addresses this issue. For those of you who do not posess subscriptions, here are some excerpts of note:

For some conservatives, accepting Darwin undercuts religious faith and produces an amoral, materialistic worldview that easily embraces abortion, embryonic stem cell research and other practices they abhor. As an alternative to Darwin, many advocate intelligent design, which holds that life is so intricately organized that only an intelligent power could have created it.

Yet it is that very embrace of intelligent design — not to mention creationism, which takes a literal view of the Bible’s Book of Genesis — that has led conservative opponents to speak out for fear their ideology will be branded as out of touch and anti-science.

Some of these thinkers have gone one step further, arguing that Darwin’s scientific theories about the evolution of species can be applied to today’s patterns of human behavior, and that natural selection can provide support for many bedrock conservative ideas, like traditional social roles for men and women, free-market capitalism and governmental checks and balances.

“I do indeed believe conservatives need Charles Darwin,” said Larry Arnhart, a professor of political science at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, who has spearheaded the cause. “The intellectual vitality of conservatism in the 21st century will depend on the success of conservatives in appealing to advances in the biology of human nature as confirming conservative thought.”

The article goes on to mention a number of books published in the 1990's by conservatives calling upon evolutionary biology and psychology to promote their ideals.

There are several things I find repulsive about this discussion. The first is that it is plain wrong. Evolution does not confirm or deny conservative values. It simply observes that life changes over time through random mutations, that the most advantageous adaptations will persist as their bearers will survive. Nowhere in the theory is there a clause on social mores. To argue for, say, women staying at home and doing the chores because they supposedly "evolved" that way is an example of argument from nature, and is thus fallacious. Just because something is natural doesn't mean it is the right way, and how do we distinguish our own actures from nature, anyway? Evolution, if anything, demonstrates that nature is flexible and changes over time. It may be "natural" for a species to work in a certain way, but an "unnatural" change in behavior in said species can often be the driving force behind its "natural" evolution into a new form. How are we to say, then, that something is unnatural, and thus wrong?

The second repulsion I have, and the one that really makes me angry, is that it doesn't matter what evolution has to say about conservative values. Evolution is a process discovered through scientific investigation and is a matter of fact, of observable, testable reality. It should be accepted on the merits of its evidence, not whether or not it agrees with your opinions. Altering what you or other percieve to be the truth simply to promote "values" or "morality" is standard Orwellian doublethink, and partaking in it indicates a mind that values not morality.

Both the denial of evolution by those Republicans who fear it leaves no space for God and country and good family values and the ones who claim Darwin does support God and country and good family values are distorting the facts to their advantage. It is a slippery, slimy and disgusting way to live, and if we were to imagine that not only our politicians, but the people of America think in this way, then we must be one of the most dishonest countries that has ever lived. Where has gone our desire for truth? Where has gone our skepticism, our inquiring minds? Why do we have a need to employ those faculties solely to justify our own preconceptions?

But don't take me too seriously. I'm a godless liberal who acknowledges evolution as truth and swears no allegiance to any party politic. What good is God, country, morality and families as little baby factories if there is no God, we evolved from apes, and political parties are denied their due? And why should we listen to someone with such a degenerate point of view?