Escape from the Acid Bath

Can Darwinism Support Morality?

The late atheist philosopher Daniel Dennett claims in his book, Darwin’s Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meaning of Life, that Darwinism is “a universal acid” that dissolves all elements of objective purpose in nature and culture. How could a theory of the origin of species possess such corrosive force? Dennett argues that Darwinism is not only a naturalistic account of the evolution of life, but also a worldview that is universal in scope and unsparing in its effects. In a sense, he is continuing Nietzsche’s declaration that when “God is dead,” nothing remains the same.¹ All the beliefs and practices supported by a Christian worldview must die along with God. Dennett cites...