Further, Prabhupada often argued that there is no advancement through material biological evolution, rather, that actual advancement is through spiritual evolution, via transmigration in conditional life.

Meanwhile, the moral dilemmas associated with Social Darwinism, could be another matter.

One drawback with this analysis is that it nearly suggests that the three modes of material nature where created by Mr. Darwin. It’s as if Darwin had been anointed as the “The Devil,” with life on earth being beautiful before his advent.

I would also find it difficult imagining that the conditional jiva-atmas primal desire to lord it over the material nature as exhibited within human society began with On the Origin of Species, in 1859.

It is relevant to note how many historical factors could be analyzed as fueling the Great Wars I & II fought during the first half of the 20th Century, and how it is the religious political right wing who often associate them with Mr. Darwin. It might be relevant further considering how there were many other great wars fought prior to our own two, and all well before the advent of Mr. Darwin.

For example, the ideological slaughter amongst the Europeans for over a century during the Reformation is one unfortunate example. Others might involve some of the battles in the Levant during the Crusades, especially the initial sack of Jerusalem. In the East, Timulane’s sack of Delhi was noted for its unpleasantness. And before even that, perhaps we could consider many of the Roman campaigns of conquest, among others too numerous to count. History suggests that conditional life can be brutal, with or without a theory of biological change over deep time.

More recent developments bear light on the wholesale carnage wrought on the battlefields of the American Civil War. Even Abraham Lincoln pointed out in his Second Inaugural Address, that while certain antagonists argued for the economics of race based slavery on the strength of the Bible, others rightfully argued the opposite on the sanctity of the same Good Book. While the prayers of both could not be answered in full, nonetheless, justice was done according to the Lord’s infinite wisdom.

Even during the 20th Century, there were numerous horrific instances of war and genocide that had nothing to do with Darwin theory, such as the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians attributed to the Ottoman Turks. More recent examples involve genocide in Cambodia, the Balkans, and Rwanda.

Might we then consider how aspects of this presentation could be criticized with many of the same concerns it engages against the controversial reputation of poor Mr. Darwin? Perhaps a broader appreciation of Prabhupada’s critique, and the historical events, would strengthen some of the arguments presented on this website.

ys sdm