Hi Platt, Roger, Andrea:
PLATT
<<<Rog, thanks for the clarification of your position. Correct me if I'm
wrong, but you make a distinction between an evolutionary direction in
individual species and evolution overall, there being no particular
direction in species, but overall a direction towards greater complexity,
versatility, awareness, and consciousness, implying purpose towards
a goal. I don't think Jonathan or Andrea will agree with this position
since they apparently object to the idea that evolution has any direction
or purpose whatsoever. Again I stand to be corrected.
[snip]>>>
But Platt, I DO agree with Roger if you will allow me to express it in my own
words:
I believe that evolution has a direction AWAY from low-level order.
The patterns of higher-level order emerge as a consequence.
The implication of purposeful evolution towards a goal is an intellectual
construction, and IT IS ALWAYS DONE WITH HINDSIGHT.
PLATT
<<<My point would be that if you don't agree with Pirsig's explanation of
evolution, you cannot agree with his Metaphysics since it is built on his
idea of moral forces creating reality, including beetles, horseshoe
crabs and finally, thank God, us. (-:
>>>
I think that Pirsig accidentally gave an answer when he asked "have scientists
have considered that evolution might be moving AWAY from something?" As I
pointed out before, he unwittingly stated one of the implicit ideas in
Darwinism - the inevitable tendency of all things to evolve AWAY from wherever
or whatever they were before.
Let's try a simple experiment:
Take an onion, mince it up and put it in a plastic bag and take it to another
room. Put it in the corner furthest from the door. Now open the bag and walk
back to the door. What do you smell?
Now answer the following question: Does diffusion of onion essence have a
direction?
I hope that explains things a bit, and also explains my growing obsession with
thermodynamics.
Jonathan
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