Hi Roger, others,
First of all, I enjoyed the first part of your mail, on the issue of
whether organisms or ecosystems get more complex over time. You seem to
be well informed on the matter.
>
> As for the question of whether complexity is good or equates to
> progress, I
> would say that the answer is a qualified yes for the following
> reasons:
>
> 1) Complexity relates to the variety of functions, responses,
> behaviors and
> thus experiences that an organism can, well.... experience. In a
> metaphysics
> with no firm distinctions between value and experience, greater range
> of
> experience is almost synonymous with increased quality. It is also
> strongly
> related to increased knowledge.
"greater range of experience is almost synonymous with increased
quality": To this phrase I referred to in my reply to Wim. I believe
it's a MoQ assumption, and can't be argued from within the MoQ as being
true or not-true. What do you think?
>
> 2) Enhanced adaptability and responsiveness leads to enhanced
> sustainability
> (or at least to relatively consistent sustainability in an
> increasingly
> complex world). Again, if experience is value, then life is better
> than
> death.
So, from the perspective of life, life is better than death. Again it
seems to me a tautological answer. But maybe that isn't bad.
>
> 3) Finally, one key complex experience or adaptation is that of
> establishing
> goals and purposes. Complex animals have developed this quality.
> Purpose is
> therefore not the cause of evolution, it is an emergent complex
> quality
> arising out of evolution.
Hm... this is a very "scientific correct" answer. The crucial, debatable
word on which this argument relies on, however, is "emergent", to me
synonymous with the phrase "and then a miracle occurs...". It boils back
to a discussion in the MoQ some time ago, can't remember, however, under
what name (thread).
Anyway, thanks for your time, Patrick.
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