Sunday, May 15, 2005

More on Darwinists.

The ID camp loves calling mainstream evolutionary biologists "Darwinists" (see the Wedge Document). I've discussed my feelings on that word before so I won't go any further into it. It has been suggested that we should call the IDers "Dembskists" (scroll down to comment #6).

In the spirit of over splitting, I think we should divide biologists into multiple camps (just like during the selection/neutrality debates) named after the founder of their fields. For example, those interested in genetics and the neo-Darwinian synthesis can be referred to as "Dobzhanskyists." People interested in systematics and evolution can be called "Mayrists." We can call the "bean-bag" theoretical popgen folks "Wrightists," "Fisherists," or "Haldanists." And let's call people who ardently support neutral explanations despite evidence for selection "Kimuraists." Isn't this fun!?

Furthermore, we can divide the IDiots into groups depending on their beliefs. If they acknowledge evolution and common descent, but feel that God must have done something during the course of evolution, we can call them "Beheists." If they believe that common descent is a fallacy, we should call them "Wellsists." (See this post on Dispatches from the Culture Wars on the inconsistency of the ID movement.)

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Edited to add:
How could I forget! The evo-devo folks can be called "Carrollists."

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