Darwin's Acid - Baba Brinkman

In 1859 Darwin spilled the first splashes

Of his universal acid, and the effects were like magic

Burning human arrogance into ashes

In pretty much the same way that Copernican math did

No, the stars don’t shine just to improve the view from earth

No, we’re not the centre of the universe

No, we weren’t created in the image of Jupiter

No, we’re not so special, and yes, the truth hurts

But that’s how evolution works — once it’s been applied

The acid burns into the superstitious side

Of the human mind, and fills it with light

It even dissolves the original sin of pride

The pride that says: «I'm a special creation

And my creator has given me dominion over nature

And he has the power to replenish his creatures

So if species go extinct, he can recreate them later

And if he doesn’t, well that’s just part of his plan»

Ah, but Darwin’s acid is hard to withstand

It plucks the arrogance deep from within the hearts of man

And teaches us never to build our houses on sand

But instead to try to understand why we’re here

One species among millions in this biosphere

Each with millions of ancestors, whose fighting spirits

Combined to give us this great survival gear

These minds, these limbs, these incredible tools

Perfected by millennia of competitive use

And yes, these attention-seeking genitals too

Without them, these living forms could never improve

It’s such an elegant view, full of breadth and grandeur

And yet, some people react with depression and anger

Like: «It's so unsympathetic, so viciously random!

What’s the point of compassion, or ethical standards?

If this is just a game that organisms are trapped in

Genetically adapting to environmental factors

Then there’s no responsibility for individual actions!

Where’s the governing dynamic?!?»

Well, once again Darwin gives us some answers

He says yes, everything from violence to violets to viruses

Consists of organisms adapting to environments

If you’re alive, it’s because your ancestors were the best survivalists

They were the finalists in the genetic Olympic Games

Every one of your ancestors lived to reproductive age

And they were all better than their competitors at getting laid

Otherwise, you wouldn’t be sitting here today

There’s something inspirational in this vision of Darwin’s

And it goes like this: organisms — like us — are not isolated

Organisms are part of an environmental mix

So your decisions affect evolution — it isn’t directionless

Now, before you dismiss me as a mad environmentalist

Just try to imagine how natural selection applies

To countries that have industrialized

Companies live and companies die

And when customers buy based on a company’s green plan

That affects the economy, just ask Alan Greenspan

Cultural evolution is ours to reinvent

Wait, can we affect current events?

Yes We Can

And when we choose who to sleep with and reproduce

Our sexual choices affect the gene pool

So it’s simple, all we need to do is refuse

To sleep with mean people, and things will improve

Especially women — on you the pressure is greater

‘Cause men will always do what it takes to get into your favour

That’s just in our nature, so if selfish behaviour

Was a sexual graveyard, the effects would be major!

In each of these cases, our intentional efforts

Can play the part of environmental pressures

I can say: «This is a space where a peaceful existence

Will never be threatened by needless aggression»

I can say: «This is an ecosystem where people listen

Where justice increases over egotism

This is a space where religions achieve co-existence

And racism decreases with each coalition»

This is my vision of Darwinism, and how we all factor in

Each of us is a part of the environment;

we pass through it

And change it, and affect the way that others adapt to it

And after we get to look back and see how we impacted it

And maybe have a laugh if our sense of humour is still alive

And what did Charles Darwin do?

Darwin threw some light

On the origin of mankind, and he left us with skewered pride

But he taught us that, yes, there’s grandeur in this view of life