On a classic episode of ID the Future, Taking Leave of Darwin author Neil Thomas and host Jonathan Witt conclude their conversation about Thomas’s journey from Darwinian materialism to theistic humanism and a thorough skepticism of Darwinian theory. 

In Part 2, Thomas links the heroic posturing of modern atheists Richard Dawkins and Bertrand Russell with the heroic fatalism of poetry stretching back to the early Middle Ages, and further still, to the ancient Greeks. Thomas also draws a link between the animistic thinking of much ancient pagan thought and the magical powers attributed to the Darwinian mechanism. Thomas explains why he now views the latter as essentially “crypto-animism.” 

In their wide-ranging conversation, Thomas and Witt also touch on contradictions in Darwin’s treatment of natural selection, the tug-of-war between the paleontologists and the geneticists in the evolutionist community (and how their battle points to a conclusion neither side appears willing to consider), and insights offered up by figures as diverse as British philosopher Antony Flew and celebrated American novelist John Updike. 

Download the podcast or listen to it here. This is Part 2 of a two-part discussion. Listen to Part 1.

Dig Deeper

• Thomas’s book Taking Leave of Darwin is available for purchase here.