O debate evolução versus design inteligente e o ensino da evolução biológica: contribuições da epistemologia de Ludwik Fleck

摘要

In this study, we analyzed the debate Evolution versus Inteligente Design by the point of view of Ludwik Fleck’s (1896-1961) epistemology, especially as regards the categories thought style and thought collective, esoteric and exoteric circles, intercollective communication and deviations of meaning. The analysis from this framework aims to contribute to the teaching of biological evolution - marked by tensions, disputes and conflicting points of view, during science and biology classes - considering the "understanding" as the ultimate goal of the teaching of evolution. Mainly, data collection involved the analysis of documents. The methodology of Discursive Textual Analysis (DTA) based the analysis from two perspectives: the synchronic one, which was performed by means of documents produced by individuals and/or groups linked to the evolution versus intelligent design debate, and the diachronic one, which considered the development of specific aspects of thinking of these groups over time. Our results characterize the groups involved in the evolution versus intelligent design debate as having own thought styles, constituting distinct thought collectives. Although the thought style of biological evolution (EVO-TS) and intelligent design thought style (ID-TS) have some overlap in their subjects, adopt methods, explanations, different judgments and language to address them. Similarly, the thought collective about biological evolution (EVO-TC) and the thought collective about intelligent design (ID-TC) differ in the configuration of their esoteric circles and the way they spread the knowledge they produce. The intercollective communication is asymmetrical, occurring predominantly in the direction from EVO-TC to ID-TC, as well as the deviations from meaning. Our results also indicate that a fleckian analysis can contribute to a better characterization of the collectives and styles involved in the debate, supporting the discussion on the subject in the classroom when it is needed. In addition, it contributes to the development of practices and most appropriate strategies to biological evolution education, both those that show how these styles and collectives were formed socially and historically, and those focused on understanding the evolution and deviations of meaning.