Why We Exist: Inferences from Science for an Explanation of Human Purpose
by Eugene Bell-Gam
Pen Press Publishers Ltd, £9.99, ISBN 1-904018-86-6
Judging by the title alone I thought this book might be an interesting read even if I disagreed with the author’s conclusions. Unfortunately, when I read the blurb on the back warning bells started to ring when I saw questions like “Where did our life force come from?” and “Where does it go when we die?”. The mention of a “life force” suggested some kind of quasi religious viewpoint, but Bell-Gam’s thesis is far worse than that though – it’s bizarre.
Early chapters in this slim volume (it’s less than 200 pages) focus on origins, and it’s here one starts to groan when anti-evolutionary, creationist, and intelligent design arguments are trotted out. It’s curious why he’s sympathetic to young earth creationism because it’s not crucial to his thesis, but it is to some brands of biblical literalism. Bell-Gam believes that we are part of a cosmic experiment, what he calls the Solar Laboratory Theory.
His evidence for this comes from arguments for intelligent design and several spurious analogies between the brain and computer technology. By the time he got round to explaining his view of human purpose I’d lost interest; he doesn’t have anything original or especially insightful to say about it anyway. One is left with the impression that a modest knowledge of science has been mixed with pseudoscience and a hefty dose of muddled thinking.
A quick investigation showed that Pen Press is a self-publishing outfit which charges authors to publish and market their work. I can only conclude that Bell-Gam should have saved his money, and that readers save their money by avoiding this over-priced nonsense.
The only positive thing about this book is that the writing is quite good and there are references at the end of each chapter.
Dene Bebbington
