Jerry A. Coyne - Why Evolution is True

Why Evolution is True is an unusual science book, because it is based around polemic. It was partly inspired, Coyne explains, by a 2005 US court case about how evolution should be taught in schools. He says that he, like many scientists, spent the day feeling anxious and then relieved by a "splendid victory" as the judge ruled against censoring evolution in the classroom. But Coyne noted an ambiguity, "scientific truth is decided by scientists, not by judges. What [Judge] Jones had done was simply prevent an established truth from being muddled by biased and dogmatic opponents".

Why Evolution is True is written as an accessible introduction to the science of evolution. But Coyne doesn't think it will convince those who are opposed to evolution from a religious point of view, as "no amount of evidence will do - theirs is a belief not based on reason". Instead this is a book that is aimed at those who are "uncertain" or those "who accept evolution but are not sure how to argue their case". In this the book succeeds admirably.

Coyne takes the reader through a history of evolutionary thought. But he does this through a clever rebuttal of anti-evolutionary arguments. These include such canards as evolution is not fact, but "theory" or evolution cannot explain complex things like the human brain or eyes. What Coyne does is to build up an explanation of evolution from the ground up, explaining how the process of change takes place, what drives it and what the consequences are. He also shows how arguments against evolution have themselves, well, evolved. In Darwin's time there was a straight rejection of his arguments as they contradicted the bible. Today arguments are more likely to revolve around "intelligent design", where anti-evolutionary thinkers accept more of reality, but adapt their own belief to fit the evidence. 

Coyne challenges these arguments by pointing out the imperfections in the logic of intelligent design - if a creator could create like this, why would he leave imperfections, evolutionary dead ends and vestiges. Given the relative short length of the book - the main text is only just over 250 pages - there is a lot in it, packed in by Coyne's well structured argument. It should also be said that the examples Coyne uses, to explain the science, are fascinating and often amazing. The book then is also a celebration of what evolution has produced in the natural world (as well as ourselves) and what we stand to lose if environmental destruction continues.

As I said Coyne is not attempting to argue with creationists or anti-evolutionists. His book is an explanation of scientific truth, as it is currently understood. But one slight problem with this is that he tends to see such truths as defeating counter arguments such as intelligent design. He says, for instance, that "each time a mystery is solved, ID is forced to retreat". That might be true. But such retreats are not defeats, because as he makes clear ID "simply isn't scientific". The IDers, creationists etc, will simply come up with alternative ideas. Indeed as Coyne points out, their writings are often riddled with inaccuracy or self-contradiction. Coyne makes no attempt to explain the origins of ID, or the role it plays for those who are religious, or the political right. As Foster, Clark and York pointed out in their book on Intelligent Design, ID is a "counter revolution against science", a challenge to materialism designed to undermine all sorts of political issues such as abortion, and LGBT+ and women's rights.

As such Coyne misses the point slightly because no amount of scientific "truth" will end the argument in victory for the scientific community, over those who believe a different thing. If that was going to happen we would not be seeing a resurgence of the religious right.

To be fair to Coyne he hasn't set himself this task and isn't making this argument in the book. But it felt like a missing link in the book's chain of argument. Religion of course plays a key ideological role and particularly in the US anti-evolutionary thinking has become central to a bigoted view of the world. The rise and fall of such beliefs have more to do with the role that religion plays in society - the hope in the "hopeless world" and the "opium of the people" - rather than anything rational.

That said, in arguments about the world, the struggle against the right and fundamentalism, the fight to defend our rights, such as the right to abortion, scientific truth does matter. Coyne's Why Evolution is True is an excellent explanation of evolutionary science and a robust defence of the subject aimed at ordinary people. It is clear, accessible and entertaining - and its full of amazing insights into the world around us. It comes highly recommended.

Related Reviews

Foster, Clarke & York - Critique of Intelligent Design: Materialism versus Creationism, From Antiquity to the Present
Weiner - The Beak of the Finch: Evolution in Real Time
Darwin - The Voyage of the Beagle
Desmond & Moore - Darwin's Sacred Cause
Jones - Darwin's Island
Siegel - The Meek and the Militant