Is it possible to believe in devolution but not evolution?

Question

Is it possible humans have been devolving since the beginning (whenever that was) up til the present.

I've always looked up to people like Michelangelo Buonarroti, Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Jesus, Mahatma Gandi, Lao Tzu, Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus, Budda, Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Pablo Picasso, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt Van Rijn, Sir Isaac Newton, Archimedes, Durante Degli Alighieri, Vincent Van Gogh.

How come we don't have modern people like them?

Answer 1

We do, his name is George Bush.


yes, that's sarcasm.

let's be honest, all those people were mocked and unappreciated while alive.


lost.e/21618

Answer 2

Since 'devolution' is a form of government and has nothing to do with evolution it is possible. I do believe there can be digression in the evolutionary process. There can always be a 'throw back' to an earlier time period. At this time there are people working on how to use DNA from a frozen mastodon to impregnate an elephant and try to artificially bring that species back. Why anyone would want to bring an ice age creature back into global warming is anyone's guess. We know that at least one human ancestor had a larger brain cavity than modern man. The outstanding people you mention were great because first they learned all they could about the world of their time and then took it a step further. Those kinds of people are all around us today. What will history write about Bill Gates, Aung San Suu Kyi, Hawkins the astronomer, Colonel Sanders. There are hundreds of people in every field of endeavor. Maybe you are one of them?

Answer 3

First of all, you really need to do your research before you make such a bold statement. There are plenty of brilliant scientists developing ground-breaking technology and what not everyday. Second of all, many of those people that you listed became famous after their death. Lastly, for you to simply base you whole argument around such a simplistic concept is ridiculous. Apparently you didn't know that IQ test standards have to be re-adjusted every once in while because later generations score higher than previous ones. I forget what the technical term is but you should look it up.

Answer 4

We have the equivalent of those people around today or until recently.

Stephen Hawking, Roger Penrose, George Smoot, Noam Chomsky, Carl Sagan, Spike Milligan, David McMullan, Umberto Eco, Seamus Heaney et al.

Also Gandhi, Einstein and Picasso were 20th century figures.

Answer 5

Actually, devolution is what has been happening. We are weaker and more prone to disease than our for bearers.

That is what we see all around us in nature. Systems run down. Order goes to disorder. Look at the human body. What happens as it ages? Does it get better?

As mutations creep in, the organism degenerates. How anyone could believe in evolution is a mystery to me.

Make a copy on an office copier. Then, make a copy of that copy. Keep making copies of the copies. Does the image improve?

Answer 6

Basically, yes. This would consistent with the Christian idea of the "fall of man". Evolution assumes that we started out as simple life forms and have progressively improved and became more advanced; the "fall" would assume that we stared out near perfect and have been slowing heading downward ever since.

Answer 7

We still do.
Many great minds exist today. They are expected to bring forth many wondrous theories and findings, therefore it gets lost in expectations.
All of the examples you used did not have the expectations placed on them that there is today.

Answer 8

Quail has it right. Those people were considered outcasts for most of thier life. We do still have those types of people. The media simply cares about Brittiany Spears more so that's what we hear about.

Answer 9

heh, on second glance, ALL of those people were religious and/or believed in God.

of course, we have more knowledge in general today - amassed as a human race. but the renaissance men/women and true intellectual mavericks are rarely showcased. i think steven hawkings is incredible - but honestly, few people would probably know of him if he didnt have a crippling illness that makes him memorable for a lot of people. and no one would know bobby fischer if it werent for his personal life. we dont elevate/praise this kind of intelligence today.

Answer 10

I suppose. What about Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, or Nelson Mandela? There are still good people in the world. No one will ever be as good as Jesus was though. He was and is God in human flesh.

Answer 11

dont think so-we have some wonderful minds out there now-but it is possible to believe anything----enjoy the night