Why Pigs don't have wings

Philosopher of science Jerry Fodor (writing an article in the London Review of Books 18th October 2007 entitled 'Why Pigs don't have Wings') rejects natural selection as unworkable. He also claims that evolution has left us 'a little crazy' and asks why we are so good at making ourselves misrable, noting that the suffering of the last century was 'terrible,' but holds out little hope for the next. Our present science, he observes, offers little help with its Humean axiom that ought cannot be derived from is.

Fodor continues to believe in evolution, but he says that

"...the classical Darwinist account of evolution as primarily driven by natural selection is in trouble on both conceptual and empirical grounds."

"If it does turn out that natural selection isn’t what drives evolution, a lot of loose speculations will be stranded high, dry and looking a little foolish. Induction over the history of science suggests that the best theories we have today will prove more or less untrue at the latest by tomorrow afternoon. In science, as elsewhere, ‘hedge your bets’ is generally good advice."

Fodor notes that perhaps our minds have not evolved to suit our modern world, but then concludes that he doesn't feel like a hunter gatherer.

"I really would be surprised to find out that I was meant to be a hunter-gatherer since I don’t feel the slightest nostalgia for that sort of life. I loathe the very idea of hunting, and I’m not all that keen on gathering either. Nor can I believe that living like a hunter-gatherer would make me happier or better. In fact, it sounds to me like absolute hell. No opera. And no plumbing. "


Darwinists continue to struggle with the rationality of Darwinism, but believe it true despite the problems, perhaps hoping that one day someone will deal with them adequately. The overall problem is that if the Darwinists could account for everything in purely material terms, then where would non material things like truth and value fit in? Darwinism is ultimately a self refuting exercise.