Evolution As Fact And Theory Stephen Jay Gould Summary

Stephen Jay Gould’s “Evolution as Fact and Theory” is an article which explores the concept of evolution from both a scientific and creationistic approach. Within the article, Gould emphasized the significance of both fact and theory in the debate over evolution. Facts, while not absolute certainties are based on data that has been observed and confirmed but theories are the interpretation and explanation of the facts. He noted that in the vernacular, theories are often referred to as imperfect facts. He criticized creationists for utilizing the misinterpretation of fact and theory to support their beliefs that evolution was only a theory. Gould argued that the proof that evolution took place was based on both theory and fact, but the theory of why is still being explored (Gould, 1994).

According to Philosopher Karl Popper, the primary criterion of science is the falsifiability of its theories. Poppers intention was to provide a clear distinction between scientific theories metaphysical or mythological claims. He believed that scientific theories were to be based on predictions which could be proven false by

His first argument makes reference to the vast amounts of observable evidence which has been obtained from a variety of experiments and studies conducted on evolution. The second theory that Gould proposed relates to the imperfection of nature. He believed that the imperfections within nature were strong evidence that evolution had occurred. Imperfections provide the world with a different perspective on how it was created, which discounts the creationists perspective that God created a perfect world. (Gould, 1994). The third argument focuses on the transitions which have been found in fossil records which reflect physical changes in both reptiles and mammals. The many transitions which have been observed in fossil records confirm this theory that evolution did occur. (Gould,