From: Steve Peterson (peterson.steve@verizon.net)
Date: Tue May 20 2003 - 17:49:25 BST
Hi Bob,
Have you read Pirsig's books?
> Two things about this process are
> important to remember: 1) it takes TIME (many generations, many years), and
> 2) the process is not directed towards any goal.
So evolution has no purpose? To me questions of purpose (will, desire,
intent, etc) can only be thought of from an internal perspective to whatever
you are talking about. Since an important scientific value is taking an
external (objective) perspective, questions of purpose are irrelevant. To
say the question of purpose has no meaning in this or any scientific theory
is far different than to say evolution has no purpose.
>Its mechanism is chance
> mutation.
As Platt likes to point out (and so do I) "chance" and "random" are words
that scientists like to pass off as explanations, while what they really
mean is that they simply don't know what will happen. Randomness is
certainly a useful concept. But to try to pass off randomness as a cause is
self-contradictory.
>Its outcome, at any stage, is measured by survival.
So evolution is a matter of survival of the fittest. That sounds like an
explanation, too until you ask Pirsig's question, "fittest for what?"
...errrr.....survival.
Evolution is survival of the survivors? Is that really supposed to be an
explanation? It is certainly a good description (though limited), but it is
no explanation.
Are you a scientist?
Perhaps you could tell me the purpose of gravity.
Thanks,
Steve
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