Re: Sheldrake (MD economics of want and greed 4)

From: David MOREY (us@divadeus.freeserve.co.uk)
Date: Sat Sep 06 2003 - 20:52:12 BST

  • Next message: abahn@comcast.net: "Re: MD Dealing with S/O pt 2"

    Yes, I am pretty amazing!
    You're right: Darwinism it is.
    It's doomed though. I'll send you flowers to put on its grave some time.

    DM
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: <abahn@comcast.net>
    To: <moq_discuss@moq.org>
    Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2003 6:35 PM
    Subject: Re: Sheldrake (MD economics of want and greed 4)

    > Hi David,
    >
    > sorry about the absolutist language. We probably are talking about the
    same
    > thing. Dueling dogmas? Darwin has already been replaced. But, there is
    still
    > something called Darwinism.
    >
    > Andy
    >
    > ps How do you have the time to read all the journals along with the
    collected
    > works of Heidegger? Amazing :)
    >
    > > Hi
    > > The Darwin chapters are of course nearer the end
    > > becasue there are a lot of theorists that laid the ground
    > > for Darwin,
    > > and I am fairly sure about the history of science
    > > as that's what I did at uni. All science is provisional,
    > > Darwin will be replaced one day, if you can't imagine that
    > > you are not trying very hard. I am probably not arguing with
    > > you accept for the strange absolutist language you use.
    > > You could say we would have no Darwin without Malthus.
    > > I am in the evolution is obvious, & Darwin is a very unconvincing
    > > explanation for the complexity of life forms, camp, if you're
    > > not, never mind, but keep reading the science journals to
    > > see where we are going.
    > >
    > > DM
    > >
    > >
    > > ----- Original Message -----
    > > From: <abahn@comcast.net>
    > > To: <moq_discuss@moq.org>
    > > Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2003 2:31 PM
    > > Subject: Re: Sheldrake (MD economics of want and greed 4)
    > >
    > >
    > > > Hi David,
    > > >
    > > > I am aware of A.R. Wallace. But, I will stand by my statement that
    there
    > > would
    > > > be no evolution w/o Darwin. Darwinism is much bigger than the works
    of
    > > Charles
    > > > and i would inlude in there the works of Wallace, even though he
    created
    > > his
    > > > theory independent of Darwin. The history of Science has awarded the
    > > prize to
    > > > Darwin. It does no good to quibble about it now. Now we have a
    theory of
    > > > evolution and this is synonymous with Darwinism. Giving Darwin only a
    > > couple of
    > > > chapters is fine by me is long as those chapters are the preface,
    > > Introduction
    > > > and Chapters 1-3. THe only cause of stagnations in thinking are
    stagnated
    > > > thinkers. :) Getting rid of Darwinism will not help in the least. In
    > > fact, I
    > > > don't even know if it would be possible to do that.
    > > >
    > > > Regards,
    > > > Andy
    > > > > Hi
    > > > >
    > > > > No evolution without Darwin this is just bad information,
    > > > > check your history of
    > > > > science, e.g. A.R.Wallace. There have also been many
    > > > > other evolutionary theorists. See Peter Bowler's
    > > > > book on the history of evolution. Darwin is only a few
    > > > > chapters. Sure Darwin is almost the only game in towm now, and this
    is
    > > > > causing a great stagnation in thinking.
    > > > >
    > > > > Regards
    > > > > DM
    > > > >
    > > > > ----- Original Message -----
    > > > > From: <abahn@comcast.net>
    > > > > To: <moq_discuss@moq.org>
    > > > > Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2003 1:23 PM
    > > > > Subject: Re: Sheldrake (MD economics of want and greed 4)
    > > > >
    > > > >
    > > > > > Hi Scott,
    > > > > >
    > > > > > Yes, It think we are back at dueling dogmas again (but, I havn't
    > > walked my
    > > > > dog
    > > > > > yet). For one we each mean something different when we say
    Darwinism.
    > > > > But that
    > > > > > is okay. You recognize what I am saying, by catagorizing it as
    > > evolution.
    > > > > I
    > > > > > don't think we would have evolution without Darwin. But, what is
    the
    > > > > point in
    > > > > > arguing about this.
    > > > > >
    > > > > > My point about computers, if I understand your position correctly,
    is
    > > that
    > > > > you
    > > > > > were reducing it to a mechanism of bits (1 and 0's). Then calling
    > > this
    > > > > > mechanism a perfectly spation-temporal mechanism. Neurons work
    > > something
    > > > > like
    > > > > > this, if this is what we want to reduce brain activity to
    (although, I
    > > > > think
    > > > > > there is more going on here, not sure...?), but you don't want to
    > > reduce
    > > > > brains
    > > > > > to neurons (if I understand you correctly). You want to reduce it
    all
    > > the
    > > > > way
    > > > > > down to atoms (or photons). What if there is no all the way down?
    > > What
    > > > > if it
    > > > > > just keeps going? OR what if it is a Perfect continuum? THe
    point
    > > is, I
    > > > > think,
    > > > > > we know exactly where to stop going down (reducing) when trying to
    > > figure
    > > > > out
    > > > > > the mechanism of a computer--at bits. We don't know the same
    thing
    > > with
    > > > > the
    > > > > > brain. Although, for all practical purposes, the nueron works
    just
    > > fine.
    > > > > >
    > > > > > My point about self-consciousness was that it depends on language.
    I
    > > am
    > > > > happy
    > > > > > to throw episodic memory in there also. I conceded consciousness
    to
    > > you a
    > > > > long
    > > > > > time ago. We will never know. So, if you want to assume it as
    > > > > omnipresent,
    > > > > > with no need for explanation, that is fine by me. So, yes we
    don't
    > > know
    > > > > what
    > > > > > makes a nueron (nerve cell) conscious. But, we have some pretty
    good
    > > > > ideas
    > > > > > about how we think. Not that there is no mystery there, but you
    have
    > > > > given a
    > > > > > pretty good description (for me) of how self-consciousness works.
    > > Well,
    > > > > it
    > > > > > seems pointless to assume self-consiousness after we have already
    > > assumed
    > > > > > consciousness (is that what you are doing?). In other words,
    after
    > > the
    > > > > species
    > > > > > homo sapiens are extinct, is there still self-consciousness in the
    > > > > > universe--like consciousness? Is there still intelligence? What
    we
    > > > > (humans) do
    > > > > > which makes us different from all other organisms is reflect on
    the
    > > fact
    > > > > that we
    > > > > > are conscious beings. We share episodic memory with many (perhaps
    > > all?)
    > > > > > organisms (or, using Holland again, complex adaptive systems).
    But,
    > > we
    > > > > are the
    > > > > > only organism or species to develop a complex language. This tool
    > > > > (internal
    > > > > > model, evolutionary adaptation) has made possible
    self-consciousness
    > > and
    > > > > thus
    > > > > > the intellectual level. I don't see the *purpose* in there in
    that
    > > the
    > > > > > emergence of this tool was a random event, selected for its local
    > > > > advantages.
    > > > > > The evolutionary jury is still out on whether this will be a
    globally
    > > > > succesful
    > > > > > strategy.
    > > > > >
    > > > > > I'll leave it at that for now,
    > > > > > Andy
    > > > > >
    > > > > >
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