Evolution doesn't explain human intelligence
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Contents |
Claim
Evolution doesn't explain how humans became so intelligent.
Source
- Anon, 1985. Life--How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or By Creation? Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., p. 82
- Yahya, Harun, 2004. Errors concerning human intelligence on the BBC's Horizon programme.
Responses
- Many paleoanthropologists suggest that modern humans became more intelligent and developed behavioral modernity during the Upper Paleolithic Revolution (c. 50,000 or 40,000 BP) to become better adapted to their environment. Complex language, for example (which was developed in the Upper Paleolithic revolution) allowed for better cooperation in hunting which helped curb starvation.
- Fossil records show the development of the physical being, as well as the development of tools (simple and complex), habitat (natural or manufactured), and culture (jewelry, writings, and artworks). This suggests a development over time, of intellect and self-awareness based on survival needs, environment, and accumulated knowledge from thousands of previous generations. Man is not born with the innate ability to control fire or write books. Man does not need jewelry to survive. The absence of jewelry from the early fossil records shows that early man's sole focus must have been on survival alone. Only after achieving a comfortable level of survivability would man pursue such endeavors as jewelry and other artworks. The fact that no writings are found with primitive men indicates a time period when man's intellect and intelligence had not been the deciding factor in his survival. Only later in his timeline did it become more refined and pronounced. Therein lies the evolution of man's intelligence: Dictated by survival, guided by natural selection, and refined over eons.
- Evolution is the only paradigm that explains human intelligence, since all alternatives tend to be religiously averse to (or else dogmatically prohibited from) invoking chance. This also ties into the anthropic principle. If cephalopods had, by chance, become the dominant intelligence on Earth instead of primates, they would probably be asking the same question.
- add more responses
Fallacies contained in this claim
- Argument from Ignorance (I can't explain this, it can't have happened)
External Links
- Mark Isaak's page for this claim [1]
Further Reading
- Why are primates so smart?
- Cosmides, Leda & Tooby, John, 1997. Evolutionary Psychology: A Primer. Center for Evolutionary Psychology. [2]
Related claims
- Evolution can't explain consciousness
- Evolution doesn't explain art
- Evolution doesn't explain music
- Evolution doesn't explain personality and emotions
- Evolution doesn't explain religion
