Evolution's Waterloo No to Sociobiology

730 Nature Vol. 290 30 April 1981 (~OI~RESPONI)l~NCE

falsified) either now, or ever or anywhere, say that was not due to historical descent in the Majority verdict the proposition "God exists". The record of larger sense of the phrase. This includes SIR - In a recent communication to Nature historical events, say the proposition natural hierarchies in both the organic and G. G. Simpson writes about a small group of "Napoleon lost the battle of Waterloo" is not inorganic worlds. Examples of natural cladists at the American Museum of Natural a metaphysical theory. Although the event hierarchies in the organic world are, of course, History that is not representative of the staff cannot be rerun, it certainly can be verified in phylogenies of both organisms and languages, as a whole (Nature 26 March, p.286). In his many different ways. Therefore the "theory of and the hierarchy of ontogeny of individual view a majority of the staff rejects cladistic or evolution" in its first meaning cannot be multicellular organisms. Th~ only example of Hennigian procedures. There are 32 called metaphysical, technically or otherwise. a natural hierarchy in the inorganic world that professional zoological systematists on the An explanation of why Napoleon lost the I know of is the hierarchy that continents staff here, not including emeriti or honorary battle of Waterloo, on the other hand, may or display through descent from common staff appointments, and 26 of these use may not be metaphysical, according to "ancestral" continents. We observe the cladistic methods in their systematic work. The whether it is based on verifiable facts or not. unfolding of ontogeny; we have detailed small, unrepresentative group referred to by An explanation based on the intervention of histories for the evolution of languages; we Simpson therefore amounts to 81 per cent of an army of angels could be called have a very good mechanism for the drifting the relevant staff. On the recommendation of metaphysical; one based on the superiority of of continents. Are we to think that the only three scientific departments, the Council of the the British and Prussian rifles may or may not other example of a natural hierarchy, the Scientific Staff, and the Awards Committee, be true, but it certainly is not metaphysical. branching relationships between species, is the trustees of the museum in 1975 gave Willi The same reasoning holds for the "theory of different in kind from the other three? Hennig its Gold Medal for distinguished evolution" in its second meaning. Second, the only alternative to the contributions to science. Administration de 1'/ndustrie, S. V. VAECK evolutionary interpretation is the assumption J.W. ATZ, C.J. COLE, N. ELDREDGE, Brussels, Belgium of a logical creator who made each species (or W.K. EMERSON, E.S. GAFFNEY, group of species, or language, or continent) to B.N. HAUGH, L.H. HERMAN, E. KIRSTEUER, SJR- As an American "cladist" and look as if it evolved. As I wish to practise M.C. McKENNA, J.G. MAISEY, C.W. MYERS, evolutionist concerned with the health of both science rather than theological metaphysics , I G. NELSON, N.J. PLATNICK, F.H. RINDGE, disciplines and the public reaction to them, I make the assumption of evolution. If I wished D.E. RoSEN, J.G. ROZEN, R.T. ScHUH, feel that some discussion of the issues raised in to practise theological metaphysics, I would C.L. SMITH, I. TATTERSALl., R.H. TEDFORD, Nature is warranted. certainly nor. conceive of a logical creator who R. WYGODZINSKY AND, R.G. ZWEIFEL The issue of creation versus evolution entails was, at the same time, tricky enough to make The American Museum of Natural History, two points, neither of which was mentioned in things look as if they evolved when they did New York, USA sufficient detail for the public readers of not. I make the assumption of evolution Nature properly to understand. First, the real without letting my hypotheses of evolutionary controversy is over whether or not the relationships (cladograms t•) my mind) be "I was there" phemonenon of evolution occurs. It does not dictated by particular theories such as neo SIR- Your account (Nature Apri19, p.435) of concern whether Darwin or anyone else was Darwinism. If I let neo-Darwinism dictate a a lecture I delivered "at the Rockefeller correct about the mechanisms behind the priori what relationships were possible then 1 University in New York last week" raises in phenomenon. To imply that a refutation of would be no better than the fundamentalists me the strong suspicion that your reporter did Darwinism or neo-Darwinism constitutes a who let the Bible dictate to them what is not hear what I said. This impression is refutation of evolution is like implying that a possible. E. 0. Wtt EY Museum of Natural History strengthened by the fact that the lecture he refutation of Newtonism is a refutation of and Department of Systematics & Ecology, reports was actually given in the Cornell gravitational attraction. Both conclusions University of Kansas, USA University Medical Center. 1. L. GowANS would be misconceived. Second, the issue of Medical Research Council, creationism versus evolution certainly does not London Wl, UK rest on whether Karl Popper's particular No to sociobiology Dr Gowans' suspicion is unfounded. Our philosophy of science renders both creationist SrR -The recent controversy on genes and reporter indeed heard what was said and myths and Darwinian conjectures racialism (Nature 22 January, 12, 19, 26 reported accurately that part of Dr Gowans' "untestable." There is a higher principle to February) may have some relevance to caste resolve this issue. talk concerned with the applicability of the system in India, since it has now assumed a Science is a discipline of open-minded Rothchild principle to the financing of medical great political significance and is creating inquiry which seeks to provide explanations research in Britain. The Cornell University social tensions. Although castes are manmade about the world without invoking the Medical Center is on the other side of York (all Hindus are born unequal!), and the system supernatural. Creationism as practised by Avenue in Manhattan from the Rockefeller is nowhere near as old as the human race, yet fundamentalist Christians is a close-minded University, which had advertised the meeting attempts are often made to establish a doctrine built around an ultimate source of at which Dr Gowans spoke. The two biological basis of castism in line with the truth, the Bible. Creationism is dedicated to insect societies. Wilson (in Sociobiology) has institutions run many joint seminar the proposition that the only explanations refuted any genetical basis for caste system, programmes, but are of course about "origins" are the supernatural yet willy-nilly, theoretical biology has become organisationally distinct- Editor, Nature. explanations set forth in their ultimate source a convenient and manipulative tool to disdain of truth. Thus "scientific" creationism, by or support such social practices. any standard of rational scientific philosophy, The problem will become more complex and Evolution's Waterloo is not science nor can it ever be science. Karl acute if attempts are continued to biologize SIR - While no sensible person could disagree Popper is quite aware of this and has said so in every social attribute, be it racialism, castism with your position on the "theory of Conjectures and Refutations. or nazism. Biologization may be well evolution" (Nature, 12 March, p.75) I think Another issue concerns what is being called intentioned, and it may well prove that some your arguments are unnecessarily weakened by "cladistics". Scientists who fall under this of our beliefs are wrong and unscientific, yet the sloppy use of words in multiple meanings, label have diverse views about the proper by this process it may generate unnecessary, enabling your opponents to confuse the issue. relationship between "cladistics" and avoidable controversies and social conflicts. The phrase "theory of evolution" for evolution. As one "out-and-out cladist" I Surely, without biologizing, one can example, is used in at least two quite different cannot imagine something less interesting than distinguish between races and racialism and meanings. At one time it means "a record of a branching diagram (cladogram) without an between castes and castism. One may dispute events in the history of the Earth", at another evolutionary interpretation. Indeed, I cannot or not give a damn if the human race is united it means "an explanation of the underlying imagine beginning a study of biogeography or divided, but one can surely condemn causes of these events". without such an interpretation. I will even racialism or castism without looking for The term "metaphysical theory" is another claim that an assumption of descent with biological evidence or defending 1he theory of example of this abuse. Popper not modification is necessary to do such analyses. kin select ion. Let us keep sociology and withstanding, a metaphysical theory, sensu I base my claim on two points. biology apart. B. BANERJEE stricto, is a theory which cannot be verified (or First, I have never seen a natural hierarchy Tea Research Association, Assam, India