Cambrian Explosion: another article on early brains (Introduction)

by dhw, Monday, November 23, 2015, 20:12 (3288 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: We are at the level of guesswork. From our knowledge of epigenetics, I believe an organism can initiate change, but how much and how far is restricted, as noted above. I think we might agree.
dhw; If you agree that the invention is 100% God's or 100% the organism's, within the restrictions imposed by nature and the environment, then the “only” point of disagreement is your insistence that it is 100% God's because the organisms themselves are mere automatons obeying his instructions. That is the doggone dogma that has doggedly dogged us through dogfight after dogfight!-DAVID: My point, in the guesswork, is that the organism can initiate independently epigenetically appropriate changes to accommodate some stressful situation. But I believe in theistic evolution, i.e., guided by God. Therefore God controls the ultimate outcomes. Easy! Note the organisms have a degree of initial freedom.-I have noted this litte concession, and am wondering if it heralds a bigger concession. Firstly, though, you emphasized earlier the fact that “some changes and advances are not due to stress, but simple innovation” - which is precisely my point: that evolution advances not by adaptation (accommodating some "stressful situation") but by innovation (exploiting opportunities). -And so to the concession: I am painfully aware that you think evolution was guided by God, but the only “guidelines” you have offered so far are the restrictions imposed by nature and the environment. Restrictions do not offer guidance on how to create something new. With “initial freedom” and “God controls the outcome”, however, are you now dispensing altogether with your 3.8-billion-year computer programme for all innovations, lifestyles and wonders? Are you instead saying that God gives what I call an autonomous inventive mechanism free rein, but dabbles when he doesn't like what's going on, or when he wants evolution to take a particular direction? This would certainly be a huge step forward in our discussion. -(But see “about how evolution works” for a backward step.)