Parralelism Between Science and Dress

Thomas Sowell, author of “The Conflict of Visions,” discusses why views of people coalesce along certain lines. To give a (flawed) example, conservatives typically have the same views on a wide variety of issues, as do liberals. His book studies the reasons why these views line up.

There’s a similar parallelism at work here. Whether they admit it or not, enemies of evolution (in any of its forms) do believe in science. Creationists do too. They used the best doctors, take medications, and undergo medical tests. They’re Jews, not scientologists. The argument is really over which scientific theories are used, whether (in our view) they are outdated or are still viable alternatives.

Regardless of whether the view is arrived at through research or inertia, anti-evolutionists just believe that older scientific theories still hold weight. Similarly, its not that some don’t dress modern, its just that they dress modern from a different era, the 18^th century.

This is obviously a (quick and) simplistic view. One of the reasons to dress differently is to be different. It provides an extra layer of protection, a reminder that you’re different. Some do that with hats, bekeshes, or yarmulkas, others with noserings and neon hair. R. Reinman discusses this point in “One People Two Worlds.”

Still interesting though.