Theos-Talk Archives (November 1999 Message tl00116)

WLR7D@aol.com wrote:
>
> Does theosophy espouse physical evolution in the neo-Darwinian sense?  If so,
> what is the evidence used to support this?

	First of all, remember that when the TS was founded and the Primary
Literature was written, there was a major hole in Darwinian theory: it
was unknown how physical traits were passed from parent to child.
Although Gregor Mendel had done his experiments years earlier, his work
was not made known to the public until the early 20th century.
Unfortunately, a lot of Theosophists consider that science today is at
the same level as it was in the late 19th century, and will give
opinions based on that.

	One of the key problems in Darwinian/neo-Darwinian evolution is, as the
overwhelming majority of mutations are unfavorable, how do new species
get formed? The biological mechanisms are certainly there, but the odds
are way against us, even over the amount of time we have. This is where
Theosophy parts from neo-Darwinism: Theosophical writings reveal
evolution to be a "push" rather than "pull" process. Evolving
consciousness, in search of bodies that will hold it, are the cause the
mutations; natural selection is just a fine-tuning mechanism.

	This would explain the "apes are descended from man" idea; the 4th root
race, finding their bodies not sufficient to hold their consciousness,
in reincarnating, caused mutations to attempt to create bodies that
could hold them. The apes were a failed experiment (recent scientific
findings have found that Neanderthal Man is another failed experiment;
they were our cousins, not our anscestors); good, but not quite good
enough.

	Now, mind you, this is just one interpretation, and one made on the
basis of current science.

	Bart Lidofsky