Evolution as a Moral Metaphor

This from Jerry Coyne's Why Evolution Is True is just perfect. Over the weekend I was trying to explain to my daughter Naomi what distinguishes conservatism as a philosophical outlook from other perspectives. I said it has to do with the attitude you take to the dead. Do generations that came before have anything to teach us? Were they wiser, more in touch with certain truths about the universe, than we are?

Conservatives say yes, very possibly so. In that case, conserving the heritage they...