The Neck of the Giraffe
by Francis Hitching
Reviewed by Darryl Jones, B.Nat.Res.(Hons.)
With the sub-title ‘Where Darwin Went Wrong’, it is likely that this
book will attract the attention of a wide audience in the present atmosphere of
debate over creation/evolution. The probable success of the book would be due to
its apparent ‘neutral’ stance, providing a balanced summary of both
sides of the debate.
It is not an anti-evolution book: Hitching states quite clearly his belief that
‘evolution of life over a very long period of time is a fact’
(page 12). He hits out at classical Darwinism, neo-Darwinism, and the importance
of natural selection. At the same time he states his abhorrence for what he regards
as the simple ‘for and against’ type of argument of the creationists.
The book is largely a guided tour through the various alternatives to creation as
an explanation for the diversity of life we see about us. Its main interest to creation
scientists is its broad critique of the accepted processes of evolution from one
who has found the foundation of his belief in evolution to be crumbling in parts,
and at times even non-existent.
Perhaps many will have difficulty with Hitching’s credentials. He is a populariser
of ‘unexplained phenomena’—yet his writing is mostly clear, and
very readable. Although his journalistic style can be frustratingly general or occasionally
misleading, he is largely an excellent educator and expounds his points well. The
inclusion of separate panels throughout the book to explain in detail important
points is useful, providing easy access to major problems in current evolutionary
theory.
An entire chapter is devoted to creationism and he even uses the criticisms of creationists
to support his own arguments. Although his treatment is unexpectedly mild, his conclusions
about creation science are really less than kind.
He accuses creationists of the same ‘abracadabra’ style of explaining
away difficulties as he found the neo-Darwinists doing. It should be said in this
that he is not wholly wrong.
Hitching’s major obstacle is the creationists’ use of scripture, which
he claims adds an unassailable aspect to their arguments. According to him, creationists
may be asking the right questions, but they have not provided answers acceptable
to him. It is unfortunate that creation scientists (especially those he quotes)
are denied the opportunity to reply to his criticisms, an opportunity denied also
to many other authorities represented in the book.
There is much at issue in this pseudo-objective treatment of creation science which
heightens the need for a clearer enunciation of attitudes and views from creation
scientists. Nevertheless, I thoroughly recommend the book, if for no other reason
than its excellent collection of valuable and illuminating quotations collected
by the writer from a very broad field of published works and private communications.
These in themselves make The Neck of the Giraffe an invaluable guide through
past errors of confident evolutionism, via the first murmurs of discontent up to
the present state of fervent controversy.
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