| Abstract: | Comments on the special issue on Charles Darwin and psychology (Dewsbury, February–March 2009) (see record 2009-01602-013), in which the authors present evidence supporting the validity of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and how generations of psychologists have viewed the natural world through its light, taking Darwinian theories for granted as being a literal interpretation of the origins of species and attempting to make human nature conform to the picture of evolution as Darwin conceived it. In certain terms, Darwinian evolutionary theory, as conventionally held, has played an important negative role in present world conditions. There is no possibility of spiritual survival as far as evolutionary theory is concerned, because evolutionary Darwinian man and woman are not created with souls. All psychological activity is scaled down in between life and death. Death becomes an affront to life and comes to imply a certain kind of weakness, for is it not said that only the strong survive? Unfortunately, there are just not many good alternative theories to choose from. From the point of view of a transpersonal psychologist, however, Darwin’s theory ignores too much. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
