[VadeRetro]

Indeed, natural selection theory can be presented in the form of a deductive argument . . .

You know, everything in mathematics is a deductive argument and nobody ever seems to complain about the tautological nature of that. In fact, you still wind up with new-looking statements that amount to new information at the time you deduce them, even if they're ultimately based upon a few already-familiar assumptions, postulates, and prior conclusions from same.

[PatrickHenry]

... everything in mathematics is a deductive argument and nobody ever seems to complain about the tautological nature of that.

To God, wouldn't everything be a tautology? Who complains about that?