New Book on Evolution will Awaken Interest and Encourage Critical Thinking

Over the last few months, Truth in Science has distributed a free review copy of the new revised UK edition of the book Explore Evolution: The Arguments for and against Neo-Darwinism (Hill House Publishers, Melbourne/London, UK Edition 2009) to all UK school libraries where biology is taught at advanced level, to provide an additional resource for learning centres, as well as to main public libraries throughout the country.

The new UK edition: 

• deals with a controversial issue that almost all young people are interested in and want to know more about;
• presents the strongest classical arguments made both for and against Darwinism, and as such is an excellent resource to help train pupils in the true skills of science: evidence-based enquiry and critical thinking;
• comes with strong endorsements from biological scientists in the UK and the US;
• has been significantly updated from the original US version making the new edition relevant to the UK curriculum together with the removal of American colloquialisms.

Dealing with controversial issues is a proven way of awakening pupil interest and encouraging their engagement with learning.

But controversial issues raise strong passions and there are many interest groups that want to close debate down. They want pupils to learn only one approach (not surprisingly theirs).  Editors are warned that some groups will shamelessly misrepresent and malign opponents in order to advance their agendas.

A good example is the British Humanist Association (BHA), which promotes materialist ideology for science and has called for action against Explore Evolution. Their description of the book is thoroughly misleading and gives a highly inaccurate impression of its contents.

From the BHA's attack you would be led to believe that the book has religious content, examines the claims of creationism and/or "Intelligent Design", is one-sided, or is otherwise not scientific.  All these claims are false:

• Explore Evolution is entirely restricted to examining the matter of Darwinian evolution, and not any alternative theory;
• The sole arguments examined and the only evidence discussed for and against are scientific arguments, not philosophical or religious.

The BHA also complains that some of the scientific evidences which raise questions about Darwinism are also used by creationists in creationist literature.  This criticism is paranoid nonsense.  The value of objective evidence does not go up or down depending on who is using it. Our science teachers are well-equipped to use their own minds to evaluate controversial areas such as some of the claims of neo-Darwinian theory.  In such an important area – our own origins – children have the right to hear more than one side of the case.

In response to recent statements made by Ed Balls and Michael Gove, we have to ask what is happening in state schools. Will pupils learn by default that secular views are the only ones worthy of serious consideration? Will the problems and implications of secular views themselves be presented? For example, materialist views are dominant in the presentation of science today. Will the issues raised by such views be addressed?  After all, if we are only complicated chemical machines doing what biology and evolution have programmed us to do, then what are 'reason' and 'science' that we should believe them?  Is school only for secular indoctrination, or will secular perspectives face the hard questions too? A commitment to openness and honesty demands that they should.

Join the battle to stop censorship of evidence.  Expose interest groups that want the books available in our schools to be controlled by a very narrow ideological agenda - such that neither teachers nor children are even allowed to know of - much less agree with - evidence that does not support their own position.

Read Explore Evolution for yourselves and reject calls for modern book-burning. A free complimentary copy of the book is available to teachers while stocks last. If you are interested to receive a copy, please email your information to: info@truthinscience.org.uk