From: Valence (valence10@hotmail.com)
Date: Mon Jul 07 2003 - 19:52:16 BST
Hey Platt,
P
> 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?
R
Actually, that's exactly what I was trying to get at. It was like this:
Many people keep commenting on how it seems somewhat incoherent to think
that societies could have evolved prior to the existence of intellect (the
manipulation of symbols). I was speculating that perhaps this function
actually predates social patterning. Just a thought.
P
> 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.
R
Right. I wasn't trying to say that man had automatic knowledge of how to
survive. I was trying to say that he used his brain to do it (even before
social patterns came around).
P
> 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.
R
I haven't heard Jonathan's theory yet, but don't know about that... it
sounds alot like saying that "...individual electrons contain the
intelligence needed to build NYC." No?
take care
rick
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