From: Platt Holden (pholden@sc.rr.com)
Date: Mon Jul 07 2003 - 17:08:22 BST
Hi Rick,
>For whatever reason,
> unlike other animals who had evolved extra sharp senses, claws, teeth,
> horns, etc, etc...for humans, it was the brain that evolved to give them
> the edge needed to make the Darwinian cut. And for millions of years it
> went on like this, packs of biological humans using their biological brains
> to solve biological problems... really no different than packs of wolves
> using their teeth and noses to solve the same problems. At this point I
> would see the existence of only 2 levels, Inorganic and biological. The
> "intellect" is still no more than a biological pattern serving a biological
> purpose. Biology was 100% of the equation that determined our behavior and
> thoughts.
What "tool" of survival does a biological brain give a human if not
intellect--"the collection and manipulation of symbols in the brain?"
After all, a mouse has a biological brain, but exhibits no evidence of
abstract thought. How do you explain the cave paintings at Lascaux if not
by the symbolic brain power of prehistoric humans?
You appear to be advocating that early man had automatic knowledge of how
to survive, i.e., his instincts allowed him to make the Darwinian cut. I
would suggest that man's distinction from animals is his need to choose
in the face of alternatives. He has no automatic knowledge of what course
of action he must take to stay alive like wolves do. As you point out, his
only tool of defense is his brain. Man must get his knowledge and choose
his actions by using his brain to think with, that is, by utilizing
intellectual patterns, rudimentary as they might have been in those early
stages.
Jonathan wrote that the potential for the evolution of all levels emerged
with the Big Bang. I agree. Subsequent evolution is a history of level
dependence and dominance. All levels had found a "home" when humans
emerged. Then the social level, followed by the intellectual, became
dominant in turn.
Platt
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