I want now to look at the related (philosophical) questions of whether with Darwinian evolutionary theory we are looking at genuine science and, if so, at good science. Without feeling obliged to keep the two parts of the discussion totally separate, I start with the general picture and then turn more specifically to the human picture.

Darwinian theory as science (laws)

The Creationists deny that we are dealing with genuine science. They say that Darwinism is “just a theory not a fact,” but of course they think it is at best a false theory and truly not even a real theory at all. However, as many have pointed out, there is an ambiguity at work here. There are two senses of the word “theory.” In the one sense, we are talking about a body of laws, put together to explain some part of experience. Plate tectonics is a theory in this sense. In another sense, we are talking about an iffy hypothesis, as in: “I have a theory about Kennedy’s assassination.” Plate tectonics is certainly not a theory in this sense. It is a true claim about the world. Continents do rest on big flat areas of rock that slide around the globe.