Are apes and humans related? Did humans evolve from apes or ape-like creatures? Arent we really just naked apes, more advanced versions of our simian ancestors? Heres a passage from David Berlinksis book The Devils Delusion, a book Ive read four times. The book is pure intellectual candy and a superb riposte to the militant and modern new atheism. Highly recommended for those who like to think and to laugh. Heres a taste: The idea that human beings have been endowed with powers and properties not found elsewhere in the animal kingdom arises from a simple imperative: Just look around. It is an imperative that survives the invitation fraternally to consider the great apes. The apes are, after all, behind the bars of their cages and we are not. Eager for the experiments to begin, they are impatient for their food to be served. They seem impatient for little else. After years of punishing trial, a few of them have been taught the rudiments of various primitive symbol systems. Having been given the gift of language, they have nothing to say. In much of this, we see ourselves. But beyond what we have in common with the apes, we have nothing in common, and while the similarities are interesting, the differences are profound... If human beings are as human beings think they are, then religious ideas about what they are gain purchase. These ideas are ancient. They have arisen spontaneously in every culture. They have seemed to men and women the obvious conclusions to be drawn from just looking around. An enormous amount of intellectual effort has accordingly been invested in persuading men and women not to look around.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 18:32:52 +0000
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