New Evangelizers Post: Darwin's Dead End

I have a new article up at NewEvangelizers.com

I was speaking with a former student recently.  Like most people in their first year of college, he has become enamored of new subjects, new ways of thinking.  We had a very in-depth discussion on the meaning of life, the universe, and many other things.

One of the ideas we kept coming back to was that of life’s meaning.  He postulated that people can find meaning in the perpetuation of the human race and the continuation personal life.  And while these are most assuredly good things, I argued that this cannot be the summom bonum or greatest good.  This perspective is a bit too reductive of human nature to that of beasts.

First of all, continuation of this earthly existence is ultimately impossible.  We are all subject to death.  And to continue the expanse of this life for no other reason than to expand it is ultimately meaningless.

According to Darwin’s view of the world, creatures struggle for survival so that they can live long enough to pass on their genetic material to the next generation.  The species that does this most successfully will continue on while other species will die out.  This makes perfect sense for beasts, because they operate on sense and instinct.  Humans, however, are the rational animal.  And because we have reason, our motivations must be more.


You can read the whole thing here.