What is George Mavrodes “theistic” understanding of evolution?
(94) Mavrodes maintains that it is possible to understand evolution as following “a divine direction at each crucial stage in the process in accordance with divine intention.” He contrasts this with the usual “naturalistic” understanding, for which evolution can be explained in terms of natural law, without bringing in divine intention or plan. *15. How does Gould respond to the idea that the evolutionary process has been working for vast periods of time in order to produce human beings? (95) Rather than regard evolution as a ladder that has human beings at the top, we should picture it as a bush growing in all directions; humans are like one twig near the edge of this bush’s branches. The occurrence of the human species is a cosmic accident. If the seed for this bush were replanted, our twig, or indeed any twig representing a species of conscious beings, might not reappear. Notice how Gould’s view is more radical than Darwin’s–after all, Darwin allows himself to use words like “impro
