Evolutionism vs. Creationism vs. Interventionalism

Evolution• Charles Darwin’s work on the origin of species;

scientifically based analysis of how species adapt to their climates and evolve.

• Humans have evolved over many thousands of years from early ape-like creatures to human beings as we know it.

Key People Involved

• Charles Darwin (1809–1872): Best known for theory of the Origin of Species

•Johann Frederick Blumenbach (1752-1840): best know for classifying the 5 Races: the Caucasian race or white racethe Mongolian or yellow racethe Malayan or brown racethe Ethiopian, or black racethe American or red race.

Questions/Problems with Viewpoint

• Many differences between humans & apes• Evidence is fragmentary• Process is too slow to account for rapid

change in more recent times.

Creationism

• The creation of human beings described from a religious viewpoint.

• The earth, animals and human beings were created by God, the “Creator”.

Key People

• Book of Genesis 1:1-28- of the Holy Bible

Questions/Problems with the Viewpoint...

• Questions the spiritual beliefs of people• Questions the link of human beings to ape-like

creatures instead of God• Not everyone believes in the same god

Interventionism...

• Is born from both Evolutionism and Creationism.

• The belief that humans evolved to a particular stage & then a superior power changed the creatures into human beings.

Key people involved...

• Alfred Russell Wallace (1823-1913): best known for (along with Darwin) being one of the official co-discoverers of evolutionary theory.

• Differed from Darwin because he believed a Creator guided the process of evolution.

Questions/Problems...

• Unclear as to what the interventionism actually was – no scientific proof

• How can rapid change be explained from homo erectus stage?