Question

In BIOL350 we considered that if cultural evolution is to 'come to our rescue', it will probably require what we might call 'biosocial management'— and that one of the challenges for this is our disposition for 'self-deception'. As an illustration of the latter, we considered how four products of cultural evolution involving 'sacred human beliefs' can be interpreted as causing about a 300-year delay in the public acceptance of science. Describe these four examples.

A) Cultural evolution has no impact on the public acceptance of science.
B) 'Sacred human beliefs' accelerate the acceptance of scientific advancements.
C) 'Sacred human beliefs' hinder the acceptance of science.
D) Public acceptance of science is unrelated to cultural evolution.

Answer 1

The 'sacred human beliefs' such as the heliocentric view, evolution, endosymbiosis, and social Darwinism have historically delayed the acceptance of scientific knowledge due to deep-rooted self-deception in human nature.

Step-by-step explanation:

The consideration that cultural evolution might 'come to our rescue' implies a need for fundamental changes in our collective values and practices—referred to as 'biosocial management'. A significant challenge to this notion is the self-deception rooted in human nature, especially as it relates to the acceptance of scientific knowledge. Historical examples illustrate how 'sacred human beliefs' have frequently acted as obstacles to the public acceptance of science, due to their unshakable nature and the societal weight they carry.

The following four examples demonstrate how sacred beliefs contributed to a roughly 300-year delay in scientific acceptance:

1. Resistance to Heliocentrism: The church's geocentric (Earth-centered) worldview was deeply entrenched, and suggestion of a heliocentric (Sun-centered) cosmos by Copernicus and Galileo was met with strong opposition from religious authorities.
2. Rejection of Evolution: Darwin's theory of evolution challenged the biblical creation narrative, leading to significant backlash and delay in acceptance by society at large.
3. Endosymbiosis Theory: The proposal by Lynn Margulis that some organelles in eukaryotic cells originated as separate organisms was initially dismissed by the scientific community, in part because it clashed with the prevailing gradualist understanding of evolutionary change.
4. Prejudiced Social Theories: Social Darwinism and unilinear cultural evolution supported colonialist ideologies and justified social inequalities, hindering a more nuanced and factual understanding of human societies and their development.

These examples of cultural inertia demonstrate that 'sacred human beliefs' can indeed hinder the acceptance of science (Option C), offering evidence against the assertions presented in Options A, B, and D.