Sam Harris

In Swedish some scientific theories are called law, and some simply theory. For instance the theory of gravity is called the law of gravity but theory of evolution is called, as in English, a theory.

How about changing the name from theory of evolution to the “law of evolution”? It sounds more powerful, unquestionable and I think that we have for a long time reached a level of certainty about the validity of the theory so that it is justifiable to call it a law of science.

I thought of this when watching a couple of years old lecture by Professor Dawkins where he speaks about consciousness raising and the importance of the correct use of language when speaking about a catholic child vs child of catholic parents where the latter would be the correct term since the child does not know what he/she prefers and thus is being labeled.

Although this move will not by any means win the battle I think when new people would come across the term it would give evolution a higher stature.

I think that psychologically it is easy to dismiss something like “just a theory” but to dismiss a law, at least in my mind seems a bit harder.

What do you think?

Greetings, Sanai.

Evolution may be adhered to as a principle and one in which specific laws of nature may be found, but I don’t think the file folder itself should be called a law.

Evolution is a category of physical principles and laws.

From the perspective of theism, it must be maintained as a theory and possibly a big misunderstanding.

No, you are incorrect on some important fundamentals here.

Firstly, in science the difference between ‘law’ and ‘theory’ is well understood. A law refers to a universal principle, usually expressable as a logical syllogism, or a mathematical equation (such as the Law of Gravity, which is an equation). A theory is a unifying explanation that draws on several facts and laws.

Secondly, the law of gravity is not the theory of gravity. The law of gravity is the mathematical equation that describes the force felt between two objects. The theory of gravity is the idea that all matter is attracted to all other matter with a force equal to that expressed by the law.

Even Darwin who started Evolution theory say that the only problem his theory has is EVIDENCE. Yet his theory is projected and taught in schools as fact. All archeological evidences suggest that whenever there is a change in the skull shape of human through history it always show sudden change not gradual.

I recently learned, on this forum, about fallibilism which is the doctrine that knowledge is never certain, but always hypothetical and susceptible to correction.