Will Darwin Survive Serbia?

  1. Lemma
  2. Da li ce Darvin preziveti Srbiju?
  3. Serbian
  4. Stevanovic, Aleksandra
  5. Scientific theories and disciplines > Biology:evolution
  6. 2017
  7. Will Darwin Survive Serbia?
  8. Radio Televizija Srbije
    1. Darwin, Charles (1858)
  9. Darwinism - Creationism - petition 2017 - Zukorlic, Muamer - Zivic, Miroslav
  10. 30/8/207
    1. The one hour TV show hosted four notable speakers: the former minister of Education and Sports and University Professor Ljiljana Colic, the philosopher Vladimir Milutinovic, the President of the Board for Education and Science Muamer Zukorlic and the Professor at the Faculty of Biology Miroslav Zivic.

      The first question on the intentions of the petition was directed towards the former minister of Education and Sports, Colic, since she was the first one to open the issue more than a decade earlier, in 2004. Ljiljana Colic on this occasion mentioned her intentions and decision not to sign the document that the theory of evolution is a mandatory part of the teaching curricula for Biology.  Again, the intention of the 2017 petition is to revise the evolutionary theory, not to exclude is from the program. Colic added that they do not go against science, but ask for the reconsideration of teaching the theory of evolution as the theory of origin and development since it is not grounded on the scientific facts.

      The TV show editor Olivera Kovacevic asked why the petition is addressed to the institutions and not to scientific community as it is the one where scientific theories are being revised, discussed and completed. However, Colic claimed that the theory of evolution, the theory that has no solid evidence, should be revised by the Boards and Parliament since it is a part of the teaching curricula.

      Miroslav Zivic pointed out that none of the theory is without questions and doubts, but that is why they belong to science. If everything would be without doubts, it would be religion and would not demand research but worship.

      Muamer Zukorlic remarked that two questions are raised; first whether as the Board for Education and Science they have the right to consider the issue and second, the relevance of the theory. Regarding the first one, according to him, the Board is appealed to react by a group of citizens and whenever there is such appeal by the society members that have elected the Parliament and the Board, they need to react. Secondly, he found it ridiculous that people resist questioning a theory that was made 160 years ago when the science was less developed. In his opinion, there should be the right to question the theory.

      Philosopher Vladimir Milutinovic initiated further dialog by saying that teaching Creationism in biology classes would be inappropriate since it is not related to biology. It is just an assumption one can believe or not.

      Muamer Zukorlic asserted that what is shaky regarding the theory of evolution is its inconclusiveness and lack of evidence.

      On the other hand, biologist Miroslav Zivic claimed that one part of science cannot be denied without the denial of the entire science and that is the point where this issue is complicated: if one theory is abolished, the others can be abolished too.

      The dispute between Zukorlic and Zivic was heated and it seemed that Zivic could not provide answers to the remarks by Zukorlic, stating on one side that there is no belief in science, but on the other that he believes in the system where a number of scientists who have dedicated a lifetime to the theory of evolution study find it plausible. Zukorlic added that DNA invalidates the theory of evolution and similarly, the fossils rebut the evolutionary theory.

      The discussion has reached no conclusion whether it is necessary to discuss the theory of evolution or not, or whether the theory is justified. However, it is another instance implying that the theory of evolution is highly controversial and provokes much dispute among the scholars.