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MIT Press, 1999
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Review
Many years ago, I offered a small periodical a review of a creationist book. The editor declined my offer, explaining that if attention were paid to such spurious causes, it would only serve to encourage their proponents. Although I have now forgotten the title of the book, I remember the editor's response. I fear that many scientists may agree, even today, with that editor. In so doing, they ignore the same danger that existed when I offered that review years ago: If the basis of science is publicly undermined by proponents of a myopic view of the world, we may be reluctantly forced to deal with the consequences of a new era of ignorance and strife. The only way to avoid this is to discuss and debate the issues raised by such challengers in the hope of demonstrating to the public the advantages of scientific reasoning, methods, and data over less rigorous belief systems.
Now, Robert T. Pennock, a philosopher
at the University of Texas at Austin, has picked up the superficially refurbished but still tattered gauntlet
that creationists insist on throwing down despite their resounding public defeats in the past. In his book
Tower of Babel, Pennock offers a calm but insightful voice. Rather than immediately jumping into a
toe-to-toe battle with creationists over evidence and facts, like so many earlier counter-creationist authors,
Pennock begins by reviewing the various evolving stances of the creationists, or as some of them refer to
themselves, "scientific creationists." Figuring prominently among this renamed group are the two main spokesmen
from the Institute for Creation Research based in San Diego, Henry Morris and Duane Gish. At the heart of the
problem in dealing with individuals such as Morris and Gish, Pennock points out, is that they "think that any
scientific argument that provides certainty is not really proof (they are happy with nothing less than absolute
truth), and they are confused about the sort of proof that science does offer." With this fundamental limitation
of intellect, creationists appeal to the seemingly ever-increasing numbers of the scientific illiterate with a
two-dimensional, simple reasoning, spiced with emotion.
After reviewing the evolution of the concept of biological evolution, from Darwin's initial observations and Mendel's genetics to current behavioral studies of our closest living relatives, Pennock begins to dismantle the creationists' babble. He highlights the unsound arguments, the misinformation, and the regurgitation of false facts.
To support his argument, Pennock provides a specific example and an analogy of contemporary scientific
reasoning - that of linguistic evolution. As noted by many others, both linguistic and biological evolution
have many similarities. Both share the idea of variation, both have traceable patterns across time, and both,
through inheritance, succeed or fail on slight modifications. More recent research has illustrated an even
tighter melding of linguistic and genetic evolution by the successful overlapping of the genetic family tree
with that of the linguistic family tree.
As helpful as linguistic evolution may be in demonstrating the reality of evolution, the philosophical basis of the processes that govern science as a whole has come under attack by some of the new generation of creationists, such as Phillip Johnson, whose book Darwin on Trial brought a legal perspective to the debate. Much of the latter part of Tower of Babel concerns the issues raised by Johnson and his fellow "intelligent designers." As Johnson sees it, the naturalism that pervades science "disqualifies" alternative explanations. Pennock rebuts, "Methodological naturalism . . . is essential for the basic standards of empirical evidence." If, Pennock argues, an alternative methodology such as "intelligent design" were to replace it, science itself would falter. As Pennock paraphrases Bertrand Russell: Having an open mind is one thing, but it should not be so open as to have your brains fall out.
Going beyond the facts and philosophical arguments, many creationists contend that what scientists do is
godless and profane to our spirit and society. Scientific materialism, they say, has resulted in the impurities
of culture and includes homosexuality, AIDS, spousal abuse, abuse on the environment, etc. "Science is godless,"
Pennock retorts, "in the same way that plumbing is godless." Science pursues the hopes and dreams of our species. It is our species, not science, not God, who makes the choices of which direction we are heading. It is the avoidance of this responsibility, the avoidance of pursuing knowledge, or disallowing the pursuit of knowledge, that has brought us to this stage in our existence.
"With God on their side" Pennock writes, the creationists "can explain anything, fly right out of mazes, and cross the profoundest gaps." This seems the easy way out, and on many levels absolves us of responsibilities. And one of our responsibilities is not only general education but, in the end, to reassure any theistic believer that science does not equal a godless world. That choice is up to the individual, not to science.
Scientists should not bypass issues that challenge them personally, culturally, or professionally.
The examination of these issues, if anything, will be thought-provoking and maybe even enlightening.
Tower of Babel provides a better understanding of many of the apparent methodologies of the
small but vocal group of creationists, whether they be "young earthers," "old earthers," or
"intelligent designers," as well as the philosophical basis of scientific methodology. Moreover, it illustrates
how modern science can help itself by transforming the seemingly complex into the readily understandable.
In a society where scientists still stand apart from the general population, attacks by those who believe
in creationism and other fact-discarding, fact-ignoring beliefs will always pose a threat to scientists and
to society itself. As Pennock appears to know very clearly, it will always be necessary to deal with their
arguments, however tedious that task becomes. To ignore them is only to strengthen them.
Tim Tokaryk is a paleontologist in Eastend, Saskatchewan.
The critical issue for creationists is not really about the truth or falsity of evolution as a descriptive and explanatory scientific theory . . . but rather about their relative viability and worth as value-grounding creation stories. Creationism tells of a world that God planned with us in mind [and] . . . will fill our lives with meaning. "Evolutionism" tells of a godless, material world in which we are the accidental result of meaningless mechanical processes. . . . Creationists fear that if evolution is true, then the only basis for value, the only source of purpose, the only foundation for meaningfulness would be lost.
You may purchase this book (440 pp., hardcover) directly from:
Or purchase from another recommended location listed on our Web Bookstores page.
Creation and Evolution of a Controversy - The substantial first chapter of Tower of Babel, in PDF format. Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Science and Creationism - online and offline resources. Maintained by the National Academy of Sciences.
Talk.Origins Archive - a collection of articles and essays, most of which have appeared in talk.origins, a Usenet newsgroup exploring the science versus creationism controversy.
Science and/or Religion - other religiously oriented science books are reviewed on Amazon.com by Mary Ellen Curtin.
Institute for Creation Research - presents the creationists' positions.
