Why it is impossible to prove the theory of evolution

When disputes arise around the theory of evolution, quite often the same argument appears: "The theory of evolution has not yet been proven." And further it says: “When you prove it, then theory will be a theory. For now, this is only an evolutionary hypothesis. ”

Why theories are not proven?

This argument is led by creationists, supporters of intelligent design and simply opposed to evolution, who are stabbed by the fact that they evolved from some ape-like ancestors. Better to come from clay.

I will not answer the question about the evidence of evolution. Because this question is fundamentally wrong. Speaking as a representative of the Commission to combat pseudoscience, I simply note the fact that natural theories are not proven in principle. The requirement to prove the theory of evolution is absurd from the point of view of modern philosophy and the methodology of science. Why theories are not proven?

Proof is a rigorous logical reasoning that leaves no options. That is, as twice two four or as the Pythagorean theorem. (However, even mathematical statements can sometimes be questioned, but this is a separate matter.)

In the natural sciences, we relate our theories and other ideas with observations and experiments. But no observation can be absolutely compelling - that is, one against which nothing can be objected. Moreover, it cannot justify a universal proposition, which is any theoretical idea. But then what is the basis of scientific theory?

Anyway, not on proof. True scientific theory is not an absolute truth. This is the champion of explanatory power today. The modern theory of evolution is the most holistic and consistent theory, which in the best way allows to cover everything that we know about the development of the biological world and not only. There is simply no other such strong theory in this area!

Not "evidence", but "confirmation"

Moreover, many opponents of evolution do not imagine that the theory of evolution itself evolves. (And in general, all scientific theories develop through evolution.) For example, before Darwin there was a Lamarckian theory of evolution, but Darwin introduced the idea of ​​natural selection, and another theory of evolution was obtained, much stronger.

But the Darwinian theory of evolution, in fact, did not explain the very thing that was introduced by the author in the title of his book - the origin of species. That is, she explained the variability and adaptation, but the formation of resistant species is not. This was done only within the framework of the synthetic theory of evolution, which appeared in the middle of the 20th century.

In general, the theory of evolution is evolving. This is not a dogma that died 150 years ago when Darwin wrote his book. This is a developing theory, and there is no better theory today. If the best theory appears, it will replace the theory of evolution. But only for the time being, each time it turns out that new theories turn out to be even better theories of evolution.

As for the specific evidence of individual events of the evolutionary process, this should be read in the relevant sources. We open, for example, the site "Problems of Evolution" - there is a whole large section, which lists many such facts. True, there these confirmations on the site are not quite correctly called “evidence” and I would recommend correcting it. But this is unlikely to be done, simply because they are used to the word "evidence". But you now know that the correct word is “confirmation.” But evidence in the natural sciences does not happen.