Darwin's Conservatives: The Misguided Quest

Conservatives such as George Will, James Q. Wilson, and Larry Arnhart have mounted a vigorous defense of Darwinian biology, even urging conservatives to draw on Darwin’s theory for support. In this small but incisive book, political scientist John West argues that the quest for “Darwinian conservatism” is misguided and fundamentally flawed. Contrary to claims by Darwin’s conservatives, Darwinian evolution promotes relativism rather than traditional morality. It fosters utopianism rather than limited government. It is corrosive, rather than supportive, of free will and religious belief. Finally, and most importantly, Darwinian evolution is in tension with the scientific evidence. Prof. J. Budziszewski of the University of Texas, Austin, has hailed Darwin's Conservatives for “showing clearly that Darwinism is not a source of conservative insight into human nature, but only a source of confusion.”