Review of the book and discussion | Sebastian Pilichowski | EDUKACJA BIOLOGICZNA I ŚRODOWISKOWA 1/2016
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EDUKACJA BIOLOGICZNA I ŚRODOWISKOWA | ebis.ibe.edu.pl | ebis@ibe.edu.pl | © for the article by the Authors 2016 © for the edition by Instytut Badań Edukacyjnych 2016
Evolution, devolution, science (original title Ewoluc-ja, dewolucEwoluc-ja, nauka) – a book published in 2016 by
Wydawnictwo Giertych. The author, prof. Maciej Gier-tych is a well-known Polish scientist who does not agree with the theory of evolution. The book is based on the seminar which took place in the European Parliament on October 11, 2006. The seminar was organized and moderated by Maciej Giertych who invited three speak-ers:
1) Dr Hans Zillmier, a German paleontologist who claims that dinosaurs and humans coexisted. 2) Guy Berthault, French sedimentologist who
disa-grees with principles of stratigraphy.
3) Prof. Joseph Mastropaolo suggesting that the theory of evolution should not be taught at schools, but devolution.
The book consists of introduction and six chapters. The author discusses theory of evolution, information in biology, protest against evolution, theory of evolu-tion and ethics, theory of evoluevolu-tion and religions of the world, finally devolution. Readers will also find two short and positive reviews by prof. Władysław Chałupka and prof. Marek Jerzy. The book lacks bibliography.
Maciej Giertych
Ewolucja, dewolucja, nauka (Evolution, devolution, science)
Published by: Fronda, Wydawnictwo Giertych Warsaw 2016
ISBN: 978-83-80790-27-8
170 pages of text are well illustrated and this is the strongest part of the book along with friendly text font. Amongst advantages of the book I find:
1) The book shows weaknesses of evolution teaching at schools and thus it may help teachers to impro-ve their lessons and lectures.
2) The author raises awareness of readers in the mat-ter of conservation by showing that biodiversity is decreasing.
Unfortunately, those are all advantages I found. The book is full of mistakes in understanding the theory of evolution as well as mistakes concerning many aspects of the biology. Since the author is a plant physiologists, those words are unacceptable:
• „Each gamete (pollen grain, sperm cell, egg cell)
[...]” (page 92) – pollen grains are not gametes,
• „The same concerns haploid organisms
(gametop-hytes) which emerge from gametes [...]” (page 96) – gametophytes produce gametes.
Readers will find many mistakes from zoological field, however most of all concern the principles of the theory of evolution. The author discusses that human did not evolve from apes which is a well-known fact and this is only one example of how the author lacks cur-rent knowledge on phylogeny and systematics. In third chapter twenty Nobel prize winners were cited as exam-ples of scientists disagreeing with the theory of evolu-tion. Nonetheless, most of the cited statements concern the topic of life creation, intelligent design instead of the evolution. Thus the author confuses the theory of evolu-tion with the mystery of the origin of life. In other parts this mistake is still present in the text.
The author, after Mastropaolo, claims that there are no evolutionary processes that increase the pool of in-formation in the living world and doubts in speciation. Evolution cannot explain the biodiversity since it is de-creasing. This should be a reason for teaching devolu-tion at schools and preserving the biodiversity, the au-thor claims. He strongly highlights that mutations can only harm and there are no mutations that can trigger better adaptations of organisms.
Review of the book
and discussion
Evolution, devolution, science
Review of the book and discussion | Sebastian Pilichowski | EDUKACJA BIOLOGICZNA I ŚRODOWISKOWA 1/2016
91
IN SHOR
T
SCIENCE
SCHOOL
EDUKACJA BIOLOGICZNA I ŚRODOWISKOWA | ebis.ibe.edu.pl | ebis@ibe.edu.pl | © for the article by the Authors 2016 © for the edition by Instytut Badań Edukacyjnych 2016
In the chapter on ethics and the theory of evolution readers will find opinion that the Darwinism was used to justify cruelties done by Germany and Russia. The au-thor states that: „Marxism, Freudianism and evolution-ism are ideologies which pretend to be science” (page 112) and „Eugenics as a science appeared as a conse-quence of adapting Darwin’s theory of evolution” (page 120). That chapter, full of such comparisons, proves that the book is not a scientific attempt to discuss with prin-ciples of the theory of evolution. Even though Marxism used some elements of Darwinism, it must not be used as an argument against the theory of evolution.
To sum up I find it difficult to judge the book. After reading the introduction one may think that a valuable book appeared in Polish literature. A book that may be-come a reason for serious discussion about principles of the theory of evolution. Unfortunately the positive impression is fading after reading each chapter because readers will be confused due to many diverse topics of the book: alleged weaknesses of the theory of evolu-tion, ethics, elements of creationism, Church’s opinion, devolution and biodiversity protection. Due to
numer-ous mistakes, 19th- and 20th-century arguments it is
impossible to treat the book as a threat for the theory of evolution. Since the book lacks bibliography readers cannot find high quality arguments and their sources. Of course, there are citations in the text, especially con-cerning creationist and anti-evolutionary publications.
„Evolution, devolution, science” provides evidences that the education is still insufficient. It is a book that should be discussed in classrooms with support of a skilled teacher who is capable of explaining mistakes exposed in the book. Such mistakes may be used as a tool to improve understanding the theory of evolution.
