A chara, - If, indeed, anything should give liberals pause for thought before demonising racism, it certainly should not be Thomas P. Walsh's misinterpretation of evolutionary theory (August 15th).
The evolution of a species is a non-linear process whereby variations are adopted by the species if they better enable it to thrive in its environment. Such variations arise by chance. The variation may be the lucky discovery of a better use for an existing physical attribute, for example, or a genetic mutation. Out of scores of variations only a few will survive because they are "fittest", meaning most appropriate or apt. The process is best represented by the image of a tree, the branches being variations (or diversity) of the main growth of the species, the trunk.
Evolution may seem linear and logical in retrospect, but it is not. The human race in its present state, with all its rich diversity, is here by chance. To suggest, as Mr Walsh does, that differences in our species have arisen because of a "consciousness" is spurious. We can no more control our evolution than we can guess at the mind of God.
Darwin's Origin of the Species is one of the most profound intellectual expressions ever made. The thinking behind it has application beyond the field of biology to areas such as philosophy and religion. In short, it has much to teach us. Racists should be humbled by this brilliant man's awe-struck reaction to Nature's complexity and by his respect for her diversity. - Is mise,
Stephen Collins, Sir John Rodgerson's Quay, Dublin 2.