The idea of evolution has dominated Western civilization, to the extent that people cannot fathom anything in life without viewing it through the lens of evolution. This concept has extended to encompass every aspect of their lives.
The Reason Behind the Dominance of the Idea of Evolution in Western Civilization
The reason Westerners have embraced the idea of evolution is due to the stagnation and rigidity that dominated life during the Middle Ages in Europe. They suffered greatly from stagnation in all aspects of life, whether political, economic, or social. Everything during that period of rigidity was merely a continuation of what came before, without acceptance of development or renewal. This concept was derived from the church and remained in place until the clash with the church, which represented rigidity in all aspects of life. The culmination was the sidelining of religion from life and from various systems. Religion was only allowed to exist in individuals' consciences or places of worship, while public life was subjected to the law of evolution, with no room for religion whatsoever.
Western Statements Rejecting the Idea of Stability
Western civilization bases its foundation on the idea of constant evolution and change through the statements of Western philosophers and thinkers who were keen on denying anything stable, to the extent of glorifying everything that is variable and evolving. One of the earliest to announce the idea of evolution in Western culture was the English researcher Charles Darwin, who published his book “On the Origin of Species” (1859), causing a significant stir. The church rejected it outright, as the book revolves around the hypothesis of life's evolution in organic beings, advancing from lower to higher forms. Darwin posited that species that can adapt to the natural environment, withstand sudden disasters, and ascend the ladder of advancement deserve to survive and thrive, while species that fail to do so, the weaker ones, perish.
Darwin explained his doctrine: “I am fully convinced that species are not immutable; but that those belonging to what are called the same genera are lineal descendants of some other.” (1) He established a materialistic and atheistic theory (2) with perpetual evolution as its core theme.
Then Bertrand Russell came forward, advocating for abandoning all that is stable and embracing evolution and change in everything. He stated: “There is no end to human affairs, no fixed perfection, no ultimate wisdom. Whatever wisdom we achieve is minimal compared to what can be attained. Any belief we hold, no matter how important we consider it, is not eternal. If we imagine it contains eternal truth, the future will mock us.” (3) Thus, Western statements race to reject any stability in life, whether in religion, principle, or law.
The Impact of the Dominance of the Idea of Evolution on Western Civilization
At the dawn of the modern era, Western individuals could not tolerate the idea of stability in anything, as the concept of evolution governed everything. People freed themselves from all constraints. Muhammad Qutb depicted this situation, saying: “Nothing is stable at all—not religion, morals, traditions, values, ideas, truths, information, lifestyle, societal structure, individual entity, individual-community relations, individual-state relations, men's feelings, women's feelings, life goals. Stability should be fought by every means of warfare. Everything must be forcibly evolved if it does not evolve on its own. Nothing should remain stable at all.” (4)
They deny stability in anything, viewing it as a theoretical concept to be abandoned. The call to abandon fundamental commitments spread, urging individuals to move with societal changes, knowing no constants. Practicality must prevail. They considered the laws of motion, growth, and evolution to be human behavioral habits, denying any real destiny or necessity, only apparent regularity. (5)
According to them, the world is not subject to any form of determinism—there are no laws governing the movement of the world, life phenomena, or society. The goal is to deny any necessity with laws that serve as a foundation for people's actions and guide them in changing their reality. They only recognize the material world within the scope of subjective experience. There is no knowledge except what humans perceive, no stability except for the present mental state. Here, individuals choose based on what they see as reality.
Observing this state of overwhelming materialism resulting from evolution in everything reveals that it does not align with the true nature of humanity, which needs stability as much as it needs evolution. Clinging solely to stability leads to stagnation, while holding onto evolution alone leads to deviation. Both are rejected. The correct approach is to combine both without allowing one to dominate the other. Stability should be evident in the existence of humans, who remain humans from birth to death, without evolving from animals. This human must have stable values and beliefs that do not change. Evolution and change should be in the means and tools that help improve life and elevate it for the benefit of humanity.
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(1) “On the Origin of Species” by Charles Darwin, translated by Ismail Mazhar, p. 122.
(2) “History of Modern Philosophy” by Youssef Karam, p. 354.
(3) “Portraits from Memory - Mind and Matter” by Bertrand Russell, p. 256.
(4) “Evolution and Stability in Human Life” by Muhammad Qutb, p. 29.
(5) “History of Philosophy in America” by Peter Kaze, p. 82.
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