Biography:

Eugenie Carol Scott is an American physical anthropologist who has been the executive director of the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) since 1987. She is a leading critic of creationism and intelligent design. Scott is widely considered to be a leading expert on creationism (including intelligent design), as well as one of its strongest opponents. Her book Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction was published by Greenwood Press in 2004 and then in paperback by the University of California Press in 2005. In 2005, Scott and other NCSE staff served as scientific and educational consultants for the plaintiffs in the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District case, which originated in Dover, PA. Judge John Jones ruled against teaching intelligent design or creationism in the public schools. She has appeared on numerous television news programs, and is one of the most recognized names in her field.

Abstract:

Despite the Evidence: Rejecting Evolution and Darwin

The publication in 1859 of On the Origin of Species was an extraordinary milestone for science, but it also had profound effects on theology, philosophy, literature, and society in general. In On the Origin of Species, Darwin proposed that all living things share common ancestors, and that natural selection was the primary agent of species change. Common ancestry challenges human exceptionalism, and natural selection exacerbates the theodicy problem. Such theological concerns with the implications of evolution weigh especially heavily in North America, where the teaching of evolution has been contentious since the early part of the 20th century. Evolution has also been associated with eugenics, racism, and Social Darwinism, making it anathema to many social and political progressives. The American creationist movement has had a series of distinct emphases over the last century, partly as a function of adapting to constitutional restraint of religious neutrality of governmental institutions. Although creationism grows out of particulars of American culture and history, elements have proven highly exportable, and antievolutionism is becoming more of an international problem.