Robert Shedinger

Archives

Rescuing Evolutionary Theory from Darwinian Mythology

_{Robert Shedinger
March 27, 2023}

Does the public promotion of Darwin's theory of natural selection match Darwin's own private view of his theory? Find out in this conversation with Robert Shedinger.

A Failed Attempt to Turn Darwin into Wilberforce

_{Robert Shedinger
March 22, 2023}

Nice try, Desmond and Moore. But criticizing Darwinian evolution does not make one a racist. The real Darwin is a far more ambiguous and conflicted figure.

Darwin and the “Eyre Affair”: A Speculative Tale

_{Robert Shedinger
March 20, 2023}

October 7, 1865, saw a revolt break out in Jamaica in which 18 officials and militia men were killed by members of the freed black population.

Darwin and Agassiz: An Imaginary Picture

_{Robert Shedinger
March 18, 2023}

Given the close relationship Louis Agassiz shared with pro-slavery factions in the South, Desmond and Moore focus much on Darwin’s relationship with Agassiz.

Fact Check: Imagining Darwin’s Abolitionism

_{Robert Shedinger
March 17, 2023}

Desmond and Moore tell us that Darwin assured his sisters that his principles on slavery hadn’t changed despite spending five years living with Captain FitzRoy.

“Sacred Cause”? Reconsidering Charles Darwin as Abolitionist

_{Robert Shedinger
March 16, 2023}

I offer a series of posts here designed to lay out the evidence in detail. It is not merely that Desmond and Moore are selective in the sources they cite.

Jerry Coyne — An Evolutionist and His Ideology

_{Robert Shedinger
December 13, 2022}

At least some others have the courage to stand for what they believe even in the face of potential criticism.

Religious Intuition Can Lead to Scientific Discovery: The Cases of Copernicus and Ferguson

_{Robert Shedinger
November 30, 2022}

ID is not religion. But even if we were to concede falsely that it is, such a characterization is irrelevant to the question of whether it is true.

Origin of Species — A Safe Book in the South?

_{Robert Shedinger
September 28, 2022}

We can assume that this writer would have been a Connecticut Yankee, a strong opponent of the South and slavery.

Charles Darwin’s Freudian Slip

_{Robert Shedinger
September 13, 2022}

It looks like Darwin was as impressed as everyone else by the amazing ingenuity in orchids and could not ignore the evidence for design.

Charles Darwin’s “Intelligent Design”

_{Robert Shedinger
April 20, 2022}

"To those whose delight it is to dwell upon the manifold instances of intelligent design which everywhere surround us, this book will be a rich storehouse."

Darwin’s Most Important Book?

_{Robert Shedinger
April 19, 2022}

Darwin was not at all unsure about the value of his orchid book. He viewed it as presenting the most convincing case for natural selection that he could make.

Muslims Should Be Natural Allies of Intelligent Design

_{Robert Shedinger
February 22, 2022}

I have been invited to speak at many Islamic Centers throughout the United States and Canada over the last ten years.

Darwin’s Reticence: How on Earth Did the Origin of Species Ever Get Published?

_{Robert Shedinger
February 10, 2022}

Even Darwin would be aghast at what the world has made of a mere abstract that he was almost pathologically ambivalent about ever publishing.

Is Methodological Naturalism Racist?

_{Robert Shedinger
August 27, 2021}

It is well established that people of color are poorly represented in STEM fields compared with their representation in the larger population.

The Casual Racism of Charles Darwin

_{Robert Shedinger
July 12, 2021}

It is certainly startling to see the N-word cropping up in Darwin’s letters, but this is not the only place.

Why Darwin Exaggerated His Health Problems

_{Robert Shedinger
July 8, 2021}

All the evidence points to Darwin as a generally healthy man with a strong, active libido, normal sexual function, and prodigious fertility.

The Uses of Illness in Darwin’s Correspondence

_{Robert Shedinger
July 7, 2021}

Darwinian biographer Janet Browne notes how Darwin’s illness may have become a convenient excuse for avoiding certain activities.

Intelligent Design May Speak to Young People’s Spiritual Interests

_{Robert Shedinger
April 6, 2021}

The rapidly changing religious demographics of American society constitutes an undoubtedly complex sociological issue that will resist easy explanation.

More Dispatches from the Science/Religion Classroom

_{Robert Shedinger
February 3, 2021}

Students are adept at spotting the incongruities, double standards, and tendentious arguments that often accompany methodological naturalism.