From: Steve Peterson (speterson@fast.net)
Date: Tue Oct 29 2002 - 17:24:59 GMT
Steve says:
>> Is your position that there is a purpose to evolution? If so what is it?
>>
>> To me, the mother of all morals is a possibility. I think I was sort of
>> arguing this when I tried to nail down an understanding of freedom beyond a
>> mere idea of unrestricted action. In fact one way I thought of defining
>> freedom is as the purpose of evolution.
>
Platt says:
> You've got it. From Lila, Chap. 11:
>
> "But in a value-centered explanation of evolution they are close to the
> Dynamic process itself, putting the pattern of life forward to greater
> levels of versatility and freedom."
>
> And from Chap. 9:
>
> "Although Dynamic Quality, the Quality of freedom, creates this world in
> which we live, the patterns of static quality, the quality of order, preserve
> our world."
Steve says: Wow, DQ = the Quality of freedom! Thanks. Very helpful.
Freedom is eudaimia? This flourishing idea of freedom as eudemia runs
across all levels as it drives all levels so it can't be a substitute name
for the intellectual level. There is a special kind of flourishing which
corresponds to each level and a complete individual flourishes on each one.
Platt says:
> I've always wondered why evolutionists rarely recognize the development
> of consciousness or awareness over the eons, from the prehension of a
> virus to the mystic revelation of a man. Each step in this "subjective"
> development is a step towards "greater freedom and versatility" of the
> organism. But why? The standard answer is "to provide an advantage in
> the competition to survive." But then comes Pirsig's question, "Why
> survive?" Where did this force of intent or will come from? What is its
> source? How do we account for this purposeful behavior?
>
> The science answer: it "emerged." That Jesus rose from the dead is
> more believable. At least there were witnesses. :-)
>
Steve says:
How is this for a resolution?:
to say that life has a purpose is anthropomorphic, purposes emerged from
Purpose, DQ. The human idea of "purpose" is "what can I use this for?" The
dice roller and the cake baker have their individual purposes, but the cake
and the dice have the same Purpose.
The question that may not be meaningful to ask is "what is the purpose of
Purpose?" (What is the value of Value? What is the meaning of Meaning?)
(Seeker: Can science really explain anything? Why is it that if I want to
accelerate a 2kg mass to 3 m/sec per sec it requires a force of 6 N?
Scientist: Thatıs easy, because force equals mass times acceleration, F=ma.
Seeker: Thatıs not an answer. Youıve just generalized my question. Why
does F=ma? )
Once we back up far enough along the causal change there is no more more
"why?" Purpose is Purpose in the way that existence simply exists. Purpose
simply is. God's name is "I am" "Existence is" or in this case "Purpose
is." Does existence have value? Does it have a purpose?
Existence=Value=Purpose.
Steve
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