The Genius of Charles Darwin

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Movie
German title The genius of Charles Darwin
Original title The Genius of Charles Darwin
Country of production United Kingdom
original language English
Publishing year 2008
length 138 minutes
Rod
Director Russell Barnes
Dan Hillman
script Richard Dawkins
production Russell Barnes
Dan Hillman
camera Steve Gray
cut Matt Platts-Mills
occupation

Richard Dawkins

chronology

←  Predecessor
The Enemies of Reason

The Genius of Charles Darwin (Eng .: The Genius of Charles Darwin ) is a British three-part television documentary published by Richard Dawkins . Dawkins also leads the film as an interviewer and narrator. He describes how Charles Darwin developed the theory of evolution .

The film first aired on Channel 4 in August 2008 . It won the Best TV Documentary Series in 2008 at the British Broadcast Awards in January 2009.

Part 1: Life, Darwin & Everything

In the first episode, Dawkins describes the basics of natural selection and tells how Darwin developed his theory.

He is talking to students in an eleventh grade of a religious school and is surprised that they think the theory of evolution is wrong. He tries to convince her with an excursion to the Jurassic Coast near Devon and a search for fossils.

Dawkins drives to his native Nairobi to interview a prostitute who appears to be genetically immune to HIV . He is talking to the microbiologist Larry Gelmon. This prophesies an increasing importance of genetic immunity. At the end of the first part, he shows the students of the school of faith still sticking to their religious version of creation. However, Dawkins hopes to have provided food for thought.

Part 2: The Fifth Ape

In the second episode, Dawkins discusses the philosophical and social ramifications of evolution. Man is the fifth great ape. Dawkins starts in Kenya and speaks to paleontologist Richard Leakey . He visits Christ is the Answer Ministries , Kenya's largest Pentecostal church, to interview Bishop Bonifes Adoyo . Adoyo leads a movement whose aim is to get the National Museum of Kenya to stop displaying exhibits that support the theory of evolution. The exhibits also include the bones of the Nariokotome boy , the first fragment of which was discovered by Kamoya Kimeu . Dawkins tells the bishop he is proud to be an "African great ape." The bishop asks why there are still chimpanzees when we have evolved from them. Dawkins explains to him that chimpanzees are not the direct ancestors of humans and that evolution has no "goal". Dawkins also deals with the subject of social Darwinism and eugenics . He meets evolutionary psychologist Steven Pinker and discusses how morality can be brought into harmony with evolution. Dawkins explains sexual selection and gives the peacock feathers as an example.

Part 3: God Strikes Back

In the third and final episode, Dawkins identifies Darwin's idea as one of the most controversial ideas in human history.

Dawkins meets with Australian creationist John Mackay of the Creation Research Society , Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women for America, and English teacher Nick Cowen. He also gives an overview of the discussion between creationists and natural scientists in the USA. In this context, he also reads death threats from Christians against him. He describes the evidence for evolution, such as fossils and DNA. He also interviewed British clergyman Rowan Williams and American philosopher Daniel Dennett . Dawkins describes how Darwin lost his faith, not only because of the scientific evidence, but also because of the world's brutality, in contradiction to a loving God. One of the atrocities for him was probably the loss of his daughter Annie, but also the idea that people would be tortured forever in hell just because of their unbelief. When Darwin died, several prominent scientists attended his funeral. Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone and the Archbishop of Canterbury were unable to attend that day.

Dawkins ends the series with the following statement:

In the perspective of the universe, the vastness of the universe and of geological time, we are insignificant. Some people find the thought disturbing, even frightening. Like Darwin, I find the reality thrilling.
(Eng .: From the point of view of the universe, its immeasurable vastness and immeasurable time, we are insignificant. Some find this thought disturbing. Like Darwin, I find reality exciting. )

Individual evidence

  1. ^ The Genius of Charles Darwin FameLab, channel4.com
  2. ↑ Broadcast Awards 2009  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Broadcast Awards 2009, broadcastawards.co.uk@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.broadcastawards.co.uk  
  3. ↑ Overview of the series - Episode 1 channel4.com
  4. ↑ Overview of the series - Episode 2 channel4.com
  5. ↑ Mike Plant, Evangelicals urge museum to hide one's ancestors telegraph.co.uk
  6. ↑ Overview of the series, episode 3 channel4.com

Web links