aesthetics

HURDLE NUMBER 42. THE AESTHETICS HURDLE.

Butterfly wings display visual designs of a very high level of artistic sophistication. Darwinism attempts to explain (or “explain away”) this fact by the theory of “sexual selection”; ie:- female butterflies prefer to mate with male butterflies that have wings displaying highly artistically/aesthetically sophisticated designs. This presumes that butterflies have highly developed artistic/aesthetic appreciation – greater than that of many humans. This “explanation” appears to entirely lack merit. Here are some quotes from authoritative sources that generally undermine the Darwinian “explanation” of the artistic visual sophistication that we see in nature.

The following quotes are from the book Evolution – Essays on Aspects of Evolutionary Biology, Presented to Professor E.S. Goodrich - - - edited nt G.R.de Beer, published Oxford, at The Clarendon Press, 1938. Essay:- The Present Standing of The Theory of Sexual Selection, by J.S. Huxley (M.A., D.Sc., F.R.S., Secretary of The Zoological Society of London, Professor of Zoology in The University of London), pages 11 to 42:-

Page 11:- “None of Darwin’s theories have been so heavily attacked as that of sexual selection.”

Page 17:- “Darwin’s ascription of AN AESTHETIC SENSE TO FEMALE BIRDS AND OTHER ORGANISMS HAS BEEN BITTERLY ATTACKED.”

Pages 20 to 21:- “In general, it has become clear that the hypothesis of FEMALE CHOICE AND OF SELECTION between rival males - - - - IS INAPPLICABLE TO the great majority of DISPLAY CHARACTERS.”

Page 21:- “This is borne out by Sturtevant’s work - - - - on Drosophilia (ie:- fruit flies) - - - he found experimentally that the male’s WING DISPLAY - - - had NO RELEVANCE TO FEMALE CHOICE, since when a normal male and a male with his wings cut off were placed in a tube with a female, the wing-clipped male was ACCEPTED ALMOST AS READILY AS THE INTACT ONE.” (My capitals.)

The next quote is from the book The Unknown God, by Alfred Noyes, published by Sheed and Ward, 1949, pages 125 to 129:-

This beauty of nature - - - - that beauty of definite pattern which we find - - - on - - - - the wings of - - - - butterfly - - -The glorious mathematics underlying the symmetries of color - - - their exquisite elaborate designs - - - - had always seemed to me beyond the scope of blind causes, and infinitely mysterious BY VERY REASON OF THEIR ARTISTIC INTELLIGIBILITY. For their schemes were what all artists would understand by the phrase “intellectual schemes”. - - - - - The utilitarian explanation of Darwin that this particular kind of beauty had been developed through long ages of sex-selection seemed utterly inadequate. - - - - - elaborate beauty of pattern - - - - exquisite symmetrical arrangement - - - absolute perfection of color harmonies - - - - DIRECTLY COMPARABLE (THOUGH TO OUR OWN DISADVANTAGE) WITH THE INTELLECTUAL DESIGNS OF HUMAN ARTISTS. Darwin’s theory that this intricate beauty had been “acquired” through ages of sex-selection, “the more beautiful males having been continually preferred by the females” seemed not only inadequate but - - - - BLUNDERING AND OBTUSE. - - - - - - It was unreasonable to suppose that, in choosing their mates upon the wing (as butterflies always do) and a wildly fluttering wing at that, the butterfly wooers would be seriously influenced by the exquisitely delicate approximations to a single, exact, formal, artistic design among the innumerable possible arrangements of thousands of minute specks of color. - - - - The patterns have the formal perfection of an intellectual scheme. They have no loose ends; they are worked out to the last minute detail in the artistic correspondence - - - - while every detail fits perfectly into the scheme as a whole, for each design has a real unity. The lovely pattern on a butterfly’s wing is, in fact, a perfect example of that beauty which - - - - - depends upon order, arrangement, unity in variety, proportion, harmony, and just that mutual relationship of parts - - - - BUT ALL THIS REQUIRES A MIND CAPABLE OF APPRECIATING IT; FOR THE AESTHETIC PLEASURE IT GIVES CAN ONLY ARISE WHEN THESE MUTUAL RELATIONSHIPS ARE RECOGNIZED AND CONTEMPLATED. - - - - - - Yet Darwin rejected, absolutely, all doctrines that suggested the creation of beauty “to delight man or his Maker”. (Now Noyes quotes Darwin):- “Such doctrines, if true” he (ie:- Darwin) said “WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY FATAL TO MY THEORY.” - - - - (Noyes continues) THE AESTHETIC FACULTIES OF BUTTERFLIES COULD HARDLY BE DELICATELY SUSCEPTIBLE TO THOSE PATTERNS AND HARMONIES WHICH STIR THE HUMAN OBSERVER, AND THAT THE PREFERENCES OF BUTTERFLIES MUST BE GROUNDED ON FAR MORE ELEMENTARY FACTORS. (My capitals and high-lighting.)

The next quote come from an article The Colors of Animals and Plants by Alfred Russell Wallace (Co-founder, with Charles Darwin, of the theory of evolution), reprint by Isha Books, New Delhi, 2013 (reprinted from a periodical of 1877 – possibly Macmillan’s Magazine – page (713 to 728).

This quote from pages 716 to 718:- Wallace disagrees with the sexual selection theory of animal coloration. “To voluntary sexual selection, that is, the actual choice by the female birds of the more brilliantly colored males, I BELIEVE VERY LITTLE IF ANY EFFECT IS DIRECTLY DUE. - - - - Bright colors in the male - - - - not produced by the action of voluntary sexual selection - - - - THERE IS A TOTAL ABSENCE OF ANY EVIDENCE THAT THE FEMALES ADMIRE OR EVEN NOTICE THIS DISPLAY. - - - - Male butterflies - - - excel the most gorgeous male birds in bright colors and ELEGANT PATTERNS; and among these THERE IS NOT ONE PARTICLE OF EVIDENCE THAT THE FEMALE IS INFLUENCED BY COLOR - - - - - - - - THE WEAKNESS OF THE EVIDENCE FOR SEXUAL SELECTION AMONG THE INSECTS IS SO PALPABLE. - - - - -

Wallace now discusses the theory of “Protective Coloration”. He quotes Darwin:- “It is impossible to admit that the brilliant colors of butterflies - - - - have commonly been acquired for the sake of protection.” (My capitals.)

The next quote is from the book – The Great Evolution Mystery by Gordon Rattray Taylor (Chief Science Advisor to BBC Television), published by Secker and Warburg, 1983, pages231:-

“The elaborate painting of butterfly wings seems an invitation to predators.”

The next quote is from New Scientist (magazine) May 6^th, 2017, page 44. Article – Useless Beauty by Adrian Barnett (Review of the book – The Evolution of Beauty, by Richard O. Prum.):-

“It’s hard to stay alive while possessing a huge or brightly colored attraction.”

The next quote come from the book – The World of Life – by Alfred Russell Wallace (Co-founder, with Charles Darwin, of the theory of evolution), published by Chapman and Hall, 1914, pages 276 to 277:-

“That superfluity of dazzling color in many birds, but more especially in many insects, in which it so often seems to go FAR BEYOND USEFULNESS for purposes of recognition, or as a warning, or as a distracting dazzle to an attacking enemy.”

The next quote is from the 19^th century science journal – Science Gossip, volume 4 (New Series), June 1987 to May 1898, page 281. Article:- How Flowers Attract Insects, by G.W. Bulman:-

“Experiments - - - - of Professor Plateau of The University of Ghent - - - - - it is, I believe, beyond dispute that these experiments show that INSECTS ARE NOT ATTRACTED TO FLOWERS BY THEIR GAY COLORS. - - - Having covered the gaily colored flowers of single dahlias with green leaves - - - Professor Plateau found that INSECTS VISITED THEM AS FREELY AS BEFORE.” The article continues with the experiment of removing all the flower’s petals – when THE BEES CONTINUED TO VISIT. The article makes the further point that SOME BRIGHTLY COLORED FLOWERS ARE NEVER VISITED BY INSECTS. When honey secreting portions of the flower were removed, bees ceased to visit, despite the bright petals. Professor Plateau brings forth a list of green, greenish, brown, or brownish flowers freely visited by insects – 91 species in all. Professor Plateau from his experiments drew the following conclusions. “INSECTS SEEM TO CARE LITTLE - - - FOR - - - FLORAL PARTS OF BRILLIANT COLORS - - - THEY ARE GUIDED - - - IN A SURE WAY BY (A) SENSE THAT CAN ONLY BE SMELL.” The article continues:- “IF WE ACCEPT - - - - THAT INSECTS ARE NOT ATTRACTED TO FLOWERS BY THEIR GAY COLORS, HOW CAN WE RETAIN A BELIEF IN THE INSECT SELECTION THEORY OF THE ORIGIN OF FLOWERS?” (My capitals and highlighting.)

The next quote is from the book Nomogenesis or Evolution determined by Law, by Leo S. Berg (who has a Diploma in Zoology from The University of Moscow, and who was Curator at The Zoological Museum of The Academy of Science in St Petersburg), published by MIT Press, 1969, pages 319 to 329:-

Berg quotes an article by N. Manders on mimicry:- “Birds in India and Ceylon - - - make no difference between “edible” and “inedible” (butterfly) species; WITH EQUAL SATISFACTION THEY CONSUME both the “unpalatable” Danais - - - - which are the imitated forms and the “savory” - - - Papilio, WHICH MIMIC THEM. - - - - - So all this masquerade is to no purpose. No insectivorous bird in Ceylon exhibits a preference for some one kind of butterfly before any other.” - - - - - Berg discusses the Pierids (butterflies), which mimic species belonging to other groups. Berg comments:- “Yet no group of butterflies is more persecuted by birds. - - - - Sesiid butterflies - - - mimic wasps - - - it would afford the butterfly no help against bee-eating birds.” - - - - - - - - - - Berg argues that it would be simpler and therefore more probable that “palatable” butterflies should acquire unpalatable properties rather than go through the complex process of color and pattern changes to attain mimicry of an unpalatable species. - - - - - - Berg discusses harmless coral snakes that imitate the poisonous Elaps (snake), which has “warning colors” - - - - - The enemies of Elaps are Turkeys and Peccaries, “neither against the former nor the latter are warning colors of any avail.” (My capitals.)

The next quote come from the book – The World of Life – by Alfred Russell Wallace (Co-founder, with Charles Darwin, of the theory of evolution), published by Chapman and Hall, 1914, page323:-

“The expanded wings of butterflies seem to have been used by nature - - - - to exhibit all her powers in the production - - - - of the utmost possibilities of color decoration, of color variety, and of color beauty; and has done this BY A METHOD WHICH APPEARS TO US UNNECESSARILY COMPLEX AND SUPREMELY DIFFICULT - - - - - The insects for whom it has been claimed that we owe them all the floral beauty of the vegetable kingdom THROUGH THEIR REFINED PERCEPTION OF DIFFERENCES OF FORM AND COLOR. THIS SEEMS TO ME TO BE A KIND OF REDUCTIO AD ABSURDUM’ - - - - - - - - The refined perception and enjoyment of color WE possess has not, and could not have been developed in us by its survival value in our struggle for existence, but that these faculties are, as Huxley (ie:- Thomas Henry Huxley PC PRS FLS FRS (4 May 1825 – 29 June 1895) was an English biologist specialising in comparative anatomy. He is known as "Darwin's Bulldog" for his advocacy of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.) remarked in regard to his enjoyment of scenery and of music “gratuitous gifts”, and as such are powerful arguments for a Benevolent Author of The Universe.” (My capitals.)

The next quote is from the book Evolution a Theory in Crisis by Michael Denton (molecular biologist – He was a senior research fellow in the Biochemistry Department at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand from 1990 to 2005), published by Adler and Adler, 1986, page 222:-

Denton quotes Ludwig Bertalanffy (Professor at the University of Vienna) He states that he finds it hard to understand the mimicry and protective coloration of certain insects “when the common cabbage white butterfly is far more abundant with its conspicuous white wings.”

The next quote is from the book – An Urchin In the Storm, by Stephen Jay Gould, (Harvard University promoted him to Professor of Geology and Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology at the institution's Museum of Comparative Zoology.), published by Penguin Books, 1990, page 38:-

“A former student of mine recently completed a study PROVING THAT COLOR PATTERNS OF CERTAIN CLAM SHELLS DID NOT HAVE THE ADAPTIVE SIGNIFICANCE USUALLY CLAIMED. A leading journal rejected her paper with the comment:- Why would you want to publish such non-results?” (My capitals and highlighting.)

My comment on The Aesthetics Hurdle:- The claim made by Darwinism is, effectively, that butterflies, despite their very small brains, have a highly sophisticated aesthetic perception, in fact far far more sophisticated than most human beings. Because of this, female butterflies, are “art critics”, “judging” with a very fine and exquisite perception the artistic display of the male butterflies. Because of this very fine judgment on the part of female butterflies, the wings of male butterflies have evolved into the highly artistically sophisticated patterns that we see today. If we reject the (apparently absurd) claim that female butterflies have this highly sophisticated artistic taste, then we have to reject Darwinism in its totality.