Evolutionary Theory's Effect On Psychology
Charles Darwin and His Evolutionary Theory’s Effect on Psychology
PS 352 History and Systems of Psychology
Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution have always been an interest of mine because of the fact that I am a strong believer in God. Researching the evolutionary theory brings a couple of issues when considering Darwin and his evolutionary ideas. The first issue to consider is that if God designed the human mind, why is it that it took so long for humans to develop theistic concepts and beliefs. The second issue is the question asking why would God use evolution to design the living world when the discovery of evolution would contribute to so much nonbelief in God? It interests me because there is so much proof …show more content…
A couple of Princeton University biologists decided to go and monitor the modifications found in succeeding generations of 13 finches as the birds adapted to dramatic changes in the environment (DeLeon et al., 2011). This research lasted more than 30 years. Through their research, they realized that evolution was occurring faster than Darwin had expected. In relation to the survival of the fittest, during severe drought conditions, the birds’ food supply was reduced to tough spikey seeds, and only the finches with the thickest beaks survived because they were able to break open the seeds. The birds with thinner beaks died off. During a time when heavy storms and floods struck the islands, only tiny seeds were left, making it necessary for the finches to have slender beaks in order to eat and survive. Therefore, these finches began to flourish and the thick-beaked birds were unable to …show more content…
The extent to which an individual resembled that ideal type was the determinant of his or her racial classification. Darwin held a deeply conflicted position on race. On one hand, he argued the biological unity of all human groups, and on the other hand, he unquestioningly assumed the superiority of Europeans. Darwin believed that divergence in mental and social characteristics were due to the environmental conditions in which groups lived (Shields). For example, harsh climate was an environment that required inventiveness for survival, therefore fostered more intelligence and creative
PS 352 History and Systems of Psychology
Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution have always been an interest of mine because of the fact that I am a strong believer in God. Researching the evolutionary theory brings a couple of issues when considering Darwin and his evolutionary ideas. The first issue to consider is that if God designed the human mind, why is it that it took so long for humans to develop theistic concepts and beliefs. The second issue is the question asking why would God use evolution to design the living world when the discovery of evolution would contribute to so much nonbelief in God? It interests me because there is so much proof …show more content…
A couple of Princeton University biologists decided to go and monitor the modifications found in succeeding generations of 13 finches as the birds adapted to dramatic changes in the environment (DeLeon et al., 2011). This research lasted more than 30 years. Through their research, they realized that evolution was occurring faster than Darwin had expected. In relation to the survival of the fittest, during severe drought conditions, the birds’ food supply was reduced to tough spikey seeds, and only the finches with the thickest beaks survived because they were able to break open the seeds. The birds with thinner beaks died off. During a time when heavy storms and floods struck the islands, only tiny seeds were left, making it necessary for the finches to have slender beaks in order to eat and survive. Therefore, these finches began to flourish and the thick-beaked birds were unable to …show more content…
The extent to which an individual resembled that ideal type was the determinant of his or her racial classification. Darwin held a deeply conflicted position on race. On one hand, he argued the biological unity of all human groups, and on the other hand, he unquestioningly assumed the superiority of Europeans. Darwin believed that divergence in mental and social characteristics were due to the environmental conditions in which groups lived (Shields). For example, harsh climate was an environment that required inventiveness for survival, therefore fostered more intelligence and creative