Evolution and Free Will

3 Commentsby   |  03.21.11  |  Pre-Renaissance (Part I)

I was raised in an extremely conservative Church of Christ where they believed that Creationism was the only theory and that Evolution was the devil, so I was raised to think that it was either one or the other. But now that I’ve been exposed a little more to the concept of evolution, I’ve finally been able to come to the conclusion that evolution and creation can both go hand in hand and that maybe it’s okay for us to have evolved from less capable human beings to the efficient humans we are today. My struggle now is the concept of evolution on human free will. I mean, if all we are is a bunch of genes and the most fit genes passed on, then do we really have a say in the matter or when we pick a spouse are we really just instinctively choosing the most fit genetic being? I’m not saying that I buy into that notion completely, but as far as psychology goes, when a person becomes mentally unstable, I would like to think that my work as a therapist isn’t based on furthering my species, but that I’m doing it because I actually care. Some of the studies and research I’ve encountered claims that anything we could possibly do, from buying a car to adopting a child, is simply a way of filling some subconscious need to be more appealing genetically, and it’s devastating to me to think that even counseling someone or giving advice could be construed as some genetic advancement instead of simply an act of altruism. Darwin’s concepts of evolution and genetics are absolutely fascinating and have been proven to an extent scientifically, but I refuse to believe that psychology itself is simply genetics and animalistic urges to better the species.

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3 Comments

  1. Adrienne Lackey
    8:23 pm, 03.21.11

    Emily, I agree with you completely. It is devastating to me to think that Darwin, as brilliant as he was, and many other minds that followed him set up theories that everything we do revolves around procreation. I simply do not believe it. There is proof with the Bible that humans were not just put on the earth to make offsrping, but to show love to the beings they came into contact with, just as God has shown us love. Procreation is a result of love, thus I believe that the subconscious “desire” is more of wanting to be accepted and feel loved, rather than to just further the species.

  2. Katelyn Marlow
    9:16 pm, 03.21.11

    I also refuse to believe that every action we carry out is only done just to prolong our species. It definitely feels as though Darwin’s theory has been taken and stretched further than it was probably ever intended. Frankly, many people are doing their best to avoid procreation which really doesn’t fit well into this theory. A deliberate choice of abstinence, contraception, and abortions go completely against this idea. While maybe at some point in the past this was the case, economic hardship, overpopulation, and changing expectations has, I believe, changed this idea in many ways.

  3. McKenzie Goad
    9:17 pm, 03.21.11

    I’ve had a similar thought about the concepts of evolution and genetics and how they can coincide with the human compassionate characteristics that God has placed on our hearts. I grew up in a Christian faith, and was taught more creationism in my private elementary school, and then as I moved to a public school, I was taught evolution. I’ve spent a bit of my college experience, trying to make sense of how these two beliefs can coincide and although I’ve done a bit of reading and thinking, I still have much more to do. But I wanted to also comment on what you said about choosing mates and whether we are instinctively choosing mates that are the best genetic match with our genes. Ideas such as this are what make it so difficult for me to accept this aspect in psychology because it makes humans so animalistic. Where is the aspect of compatibility based on personalities and character traits? Where is the aspect of love? And where is the essence of emotions? Without these, it almost makes humans seem mechanistic and like life is pre-determined, which I struggle to accept.

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