Books Quote by David C. Stove
““Darwinians have always owed their readers a translation manual that would "cash" the teleological language which Darwinians avail themselves of without restraint in explaining particular adaptations, into the non-teleological language which their own theory of adaptation requires. But they have never paid, or even tried to pay, this debt.””
About This Quote
Darwinian explanations often use teleological language, needing translation into non‑teleological terms.
In simple terms: Science should avoid purpose‑based wording.
Key Takeaway
Use neutral language in evolutionary theory.
Themes
science communication
evolution
language
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
instructional
observational
When to use this quote
- academic writing
- public science education
- policy briefs
Key Concepts
philosophy of science
biology
Questions to Reflect On
- How to train scientists in neutral phrasing?
- What impact does language have on public perception?
A Different Perspective
Changing entrenched terminology is difficult.
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
