For many people, the idea of biological evolution carries philosophical baggage. But what is evolution? Did we evolve just by chance as a consequence of random events? Dr. Dan Kuebler, molecular and cell biologist, has asked these questions, too. In this award-winning video, Dr. Kuebler reveals how he has personally grappled with these questions. Having always had a strong sense of purpose in his life, he wondered how purpose could be compatible with evolution, a seemingly meaningless biological process.
Is Evolution Random?
Interestingly, the more he learned about evolution, the more Dr. Kuebler was amazed by how much order can be observed in the processes of evolution. But what does evolution mean? Evolution did not seem to be random in nature. By understanding the broad concepts as well as molecular intricacies of evolution, he learned that while chance certainly plays a role in evolution, evolution also only works because it operates within a system of complex, ordered, and nuanced laws. One such system of evolution is convergent evolution.
What is Convergent Evolution?
Convergent evolution is an example of profound order in the evolutionary process. The human camera-like eye has evolved in several other lineages of animals, including some cephalopods and gastropods. Since the spectrum of light wavelengths in nature is fixed, vastly different animals separately evolved to take advantage of that light and harness it in a useful way for their species. Another example of convergent evolution is how animals like bats and dolphins evolved to use echolocation to hunt prey despite difficult environmental challenges.
What does Evolution Mean for the Human Person?
While many people believe that we can approach science with no bias, every human person approaches evolution with their own set of presuppositions. In fact, when most people think, “What is evolution?” the word “evolution” is approached from a context of materialistic and reductionistic evolution. The better question to ask is, “What does evolution mean?”
Evolution is compatible with the existence of a transcendent creator, and to believe in evolution does not mean that you are a God-denying atheist. When analyzing evolution critically, people of faith can realize that it does not deny Christian anthropology. In many respects, the question, “What does evolution mean?” can be answered by understanding that evolution is subject to universal laws of nature, which are radically intelligent in design. As such, to assert that the human person is simply the product of random genetic mutation fails because the process that birthed the first humans was anything but random. In fact, to the trained eye, it seems to be profoundly purposeful.
Does Evolution Show Purpose in the Universe?
Evolution is built on a foundation of order. This is a curious phenomenon, and raises philosophical questions that science alone cannot answer, Why is there order in evolution? What does evolution mean for human consciousness? Why do we have a universe with structured laws?
Science is an amazing and powerful gift to help us learn more about the universe we live in, but there are certain questions that are outside the realm of science. It is a gift to be able to observe and understand the world around us as conscious beings, and wonder about the purpose behind it all.
“The universe is filled with order from top to bottom. It is a beautiful order. . . and an order that we can actually comprehend. It’s almost as if we’ve been made to comprehend that order in the universe, to be able to contemplate it, so that we can see, maybe, that purpose behind it.” — Dr. Dan Kuebler
*Originally published June 6, 2022.
