"Life Is Overrated: On Darwin’s Ultimate Materialism" review


The article "Life Is Overrated: On Darwin’s Ultimate Materialism" by Simine Ghelli argues that Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection leads to a view of life that is ultimately materialistic and devoid of any intrinsic meaning or value. Ghelli begins by noting that Darwin's theory is fundamentally ahistorical. That is, it does not posit any goal or purpose for life, nor does it assume that life has any predetermined trajectory. Instead, life is simply a product of random variation and natural selection. This means that there is no reason to believe that life has any inherent value or meaning.

Ghelli then goes on to argue that Darwin's theory also implies that there is no such thing as a "soul." The soul, according to Ghelli, is often thought of as the immaterial essence of a person or animal. It is what makes us who we are and what gives our lives meaning. However, Darwin's theory suggests that there is no such thing as a soul. Instead, our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are simply the product of our genes and our environment. There is no immaterial essence that exists independently of our physical bodies.

Ghelli concludes by arguing that Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection leads to a view of life that is ultimately materialistic and devoid of any intrinsic meaning or value. This view may be difficult to accept, but it is one that we must face if we are to be honest about the nature of our existence.

Here are some additional thoughts on the article:

  • Ghelli argument is persuasive, but it is important to note that there are other ways to interpret Darwin's theory. Some people believe that Darwin's theory does not necessarily lead to a materialistic view of life. They argue that the existence of free will and consciousness is compatible with Darwinian evolution.

  • However Dawkins says, The universe that we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference.

Richard Dawkins, River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life

  • Even if Darwin's theory does lead to a materialistic view of life, this does not mean that life is meaningless its just the evolutionist has no "properly basic" reasons for it. 

  • The article raises important questions about the nature of life and its meaning. These are questions that philosophers and scientists have been debating for centuries. There is no easy answer to these questions, but it is important to continue to explore them.


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