In existographies, Theodosius Dobzhansky (1900-1975) (Simmons 100:67) (CR:7) was a Russian-born American zoologist, geneticist, and origin of life debater, noted for his position that a human is not a molecule (see: people are not molecules; human molecular theory).
Quran | Science
In 1975, Dobzhansky employed the following quote, as dialogue opening leverage, in respect to his war on Islamic-based science and or ideology of Christian god-created evolution based biology:
“The Holy Koran, the Prophet’s teachings, the majority of Islamic scientists, and the actual facts of all prove that the sun is running in its orbit, as Almighty God ordained, and the earth is fixed and stable, spread out by God for his mankind. Anyone who professed otherwise would utter a charge of falsehood toward God, the Koran, and the Prophet.”
— Abdul ibn Baz (1966), “Letter to Faisal, King of Saudi Arabia”, published in two newspapers, requesting that he suppress the heresy and falsehood of heliocentrism being taught at Riyadh University; when King Faisal found out this, he was furious and ordered the destruction of every unsold copy of both papers; but it was too late, news had leaked out to Egyptian newspapers, after which Saudi Arabia was labeled a “backwards nation”; ibn Baz, to note, had begun to lose his eyesight in 1927 (age 16) and was completely blind by 1950 (age 40); he did not recant his views until 1985 (age 75) when Prince Sultan Ibn Salman, the first Arab astronaut, returned from a week’s stay aboard the space shuttle Discovery, and returned home, and made a special trip to see ibn Baz and to tell him that by watching the line that separates day and night, he had personally seen the earth rotate; nevertheless, in spite of such intellectual backwardsness, in 1993 (age 83) he was appointed, by King Fahad, to be “grand mufti”, the equivalent of “chief justice” of Saudi Arabia. [1]
Of note here, King Fahd, was the person who allowed Saudi Arabia to host American-led coalition troops in his kingdom, later allowing American troops to be based their; a decision that brought considerable criticism and opposition from many Saudi citizens, who objected, per Quranic reasoning, to the presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil, among these objectors was Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda, the former of which latter cited this “event” as causus belli, i.e. an "act or event that provokes or is used to justify war", Jihad in this case, in the later justified 9/11 attacks. [6]
Prebiotic evolution
The following are prime examples where Dobzhansky's religious faith conflicts with his scientific beliefs and thereby arguments:
“Prebiological natural selection is a contradiction in terms.”
— Theodosius Dobzhansky (1963), discussion with Gerhard Schramm on terminology [2]
“Man is not a molecule, and though he is an animal he is a very special kind of animal.”
— Theodosius Dobzhansky (1964) [3]
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Religion
Ernst Mayr stated on Dobzhansky: “On the other hand, famous evolutionists such as Dobzhansky were firm believers in a personal god.” [4] Dobzhansky himself spoke of god as creating through evolution, and considered himself a communicant of the Eastern Orthodox Church. [5]
Quotes | On
The following are quotes on Dobzhansky:
“I must also mention books by two scientists who are my associates on the Committee on Science and Human Values, which is responsible for this meeting: L. C. Birch's Nature and God and Theodosius Dobzhansky's Biology of Ultimate Concern.”
— Ralph Burhoe (1970), “Introduction” to Symposium on Science and Human Values [8]
Quotes | By
The following are quotes by Dobzhansky:
“Purposefulness, or teleology, does not exist in nonliving nature. It is universal in the living world. It would make no sense to talk of the purpose or adaption of stars, mountains, or the laws of physics.”
— Theodosius Dobzhansky (c.1970), Publication (Ѻ); cited by Peter Corning (2003) in: Nature’s Magic (pg. 172)
“Purposefulness, or teleology, does not exist in nonliving nature. It is universal in the living world.”
— Theodosius Dobzhansky (1977), Publication (pg. 77) (Ѻ)
“Man certainly consists of molecules and atoms, but he does NOT arise by an accidental concourse of these.”
— Theodosius Dobzhansky (1967), The Biology of Ultimate Concerns [7]
References
1. (a) Dobzhansky, Theodosius. (1973). “Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution” (pdf), The American Biology Teacher, 35(3):125-29.
(b) Watson, Mark. (2008). Prophets and Princes: Saudi Arabia from Muhammad to the Present (earth, pg. 196). Publisher.
(c) Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz (Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz) – Wikipedia.
(d) Faisal of Saudi Arabia – Wikipedia.
(e) Fahd of Saudi Arabia – Wikipedia.
(f) Kings of Saudi Arabia (1932-present) – Wikipedia.
2. (a) Schramm, Gerhard. (1963). “Synthesis of Nucleosides and Polynucleotides with Metaphosphate Esters”, The Origins of Prebiological Systems and of their Molecular Matrices (editor: Sidney Fox) (§:Talk, pgs. 299-309; §:Discussion, pgs. 309-15; quote, pg. 310); Proceedings of a Conference Conducted at Wakulla Springs, Florida and NASA on 27–30 October 1963 under the auspices of the Institute for Space Biosciences The Florida State. Academic Press, 1965.
(b) Strobel, Lee. (2004). The Case for a Creator: a Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence that Points Toward God (pg. 285). Zondervan, 2009.
3. Dobzhansky, Theodosius. (1964). “Evolution: Organic and Superorganic” , Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (pgs. 2-4), May; article adapted from the Rockefeller Institute Review, April 1963.
4. Shermer, Michael and Sulloway, Frank J. (2000). “The grand old man of evolution”, Skeptic, 8(1):76–82.
5. Collins, Francis S (2006). The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief. New York: Free Press.
6. Fahd of Saudi Arabia – Wikipedia.
7. Dobzhansky, Theodosius. (1967). The Biology of Ultimate Concerns (molecules, 12+ pgs; quote, pg. 24). New American Library.
8. Burhoe, Ralph W. (1971). “Introduction to the Symposium on Science and Human Values” (abs)(Ѻ), Zygon, 6(2):82-98, Jun.
Further reading
● Dobzhansky, Theodosius. (1956). The Biological Basis of Human Freedom. Publisher.
● Dobzhansky, Theodosius. (1963). Mankind Evolving. Publisher.
External links
● Theodosius Dobzhansky – Wikipedia.
