Evolutionism

Evolutionism is any one of a number of theories that the form and nature of living things that exist at a given time are natural (unplanned) outgrowths of those that existed before, and the first living things arose by random events in an abiotic world. By "nature" one means the biochemistry, histology, genetic complement, etc. An evolutionist is a proponent of evolutionism.

References

• Carneiro, Robert, Evolutionism in Cultural Anthropology: A Critical History ISBN 0813337666
• Review of Buckland's Bridgewater Treatise, The Times Tuesday, Nov 15, 1836; pg. 3; Issue 16261; col E. ("annihilates the doctrine of spontaneous and progressive evolution of life, and its impious corollary, chance")
• Review of Charles Darwin's The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals The Times Friday, Dec. 13, 1872; pg. 4; Issue 27559; col A. ("His thorough-going 'evolutionism' tends to eliminate . . . .")
• Ruse, Michael. 2003. "Is Evolution a Secular Religion?" Science 299:1523-1524 http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/299/5612/1523 (concluding that evolutionary biology is NOT a religion in any sense but noting that several evolutionary biologists, such as Edward O. Wilson, in their roles as citizens concerned about getting the public to deal with reality, have made statements like "evolution is a myth that is now ready to take over Christianity").