EVOLUTION AND PURPOSE (Evolution)

by David Turell , Monday, November 30, 2015, 15:34 (3279 days ago) @ dhw


> dhw: My hypothesis is based on the idea that organisms respond to (but do not predict) changes in their environment.-We all accept this simple premise.-> dhw: This is known to happen with adaptation. I take it one (giant) step forward, and apply the same process to innovation.... Yes, the Cambrian is an unexplained mystery of colossal proportions, but I do not see my hypothesis (not a belief) as any more unlikely than yours (a belief) or Darwin's.-And the sticking point is the colossal Cambrian. Innovation from nothing to brains in 10 million years, noting that some extra oxygen appeared, is a wild bit of wishful thinking. Your logic: The living use oxygen for energy, brains need lots of energy, so of course brains appeared. Yes a giant illogical step.-> 
> dhw: This is more hopeful. If horses had the freedom to develop their own unidactyl variation, maybe some fish worked out how to survive on dry land, and maybe insects, birds, molluscs and vertebrates worked out their own varieties of senses, appendages and lifestyles,...That would explain the huge variety we find in the evolutionary bush, wouldn't it? Organisms following their own evolutionary paths. -I've accepted the possibility of individual inventiveness to some degree, but not to the extent you are proposing. 
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> dhw: Your argument appears to be that humans are here, and therefore humans are the overall purpose, while everything else either is or was here but I shouldn't ask why. So long as I don't ask why your hypothesis doesn't seem reasonable, your hypothesis is reasonable to the point of being "obvious". However, your questions are indeed the major ones that gave rise to this website in the first place. If there is a God, I agree that there has to be a purpose behind his creation of life. If there is no God, we can only make our own purposes. The difference here is that I don't know if God exists and you think you do. But when I put on my theist hat and consider the history of evolution, the difference between us is that I can see a variety of choices relating to God's purpose, whereas you can only see one: the production of humans (which in any case is only half a purpose, the other half of which would be the reason for producing humans).-Excellent summary. But note, if one goes back six/million years we see roughly the same animals and plants we see now. Little is changed except the appearance of highly sentient humans. Relative stasis except for the human line. I see purpose in that. I understand you don't. But you are glad to be here, I'm sure.