Definitions (Evolution)

by whitecraw, Sunday, March 30, 2008, 00:07 (5871 days ago) @ George Jelliss

Here are some other definitions. - Science: the institution of knowledge. There are generally three types of knowledge: practical knowledge ('know how'), theoretical knowledge ('know why'), and factual knowledge ('know that'). To qualify as knowledge, a practice, theory or statement must conform to the quality standards laid down by the knowledge community into which that practice, theory or statement seeks acceptance. These standards are established by the knowledge community's 'ruling paradigm', perpetuated through the educational and training régimes by which new practitioners are inducted into the community, and upheld by the community's judicial tribunals. - Occam's Razor: the principle 'Pluralitas non est ponenda sine neccesitate.' (`Entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily.') In practice this means that, if you have two or more competing theories which describe the same system and make identical predictions (and therefore cannot be decided experimentally), you should always opt for the simplest; i.e. the one which relies on the least number of postulates. - Evolution: Change in the genetic composition of a population during successive generations, as a result of natural selection acting on genetic variation among individuals. Genetic variation occurs as a result of chance mutations in DNA sequences, which generally occur through one of two processes: DNA damage from environmental agents such as ultraviolet light, nuclear radiation or certain chemicals; mistakes that occur when a cell's DNA is replicated in preparation for cell division. - Darwinism: a theory of organic evolution, originating with Charles Darwin, which claims that new species arise and are perpetuated by natural selection. - Natural selection: the mechanism by which change occurs in the genetic composition of a population during successive generations. Basically, genetic variations that arise among individuals in a population will tend to be reproduced in successive generations of that population if they do not disadvantage their bearers in the competition to survive and reproduce in a given environment; those which do disadvantage their bearers will tend to die out of the population in that given environment. One of the huge advantages that the theory of evolution by natural selection has over rival theories is its economy (see Occam's Razor): if you have variation, differential reproduction, and heredity, you will have evolution by natural selection as an outcome; nothing further needs to be postulated. - Chance: an event the occurrence of which is unpredictable, or the quality of unpredictability. - Random: without definite aim, direction, rule, or method. - Determinism: the doctrine that every event has a[n efficient] cause. - Indeterminism: the doctrine that not every event has a[n efficient] cause. - Belief: an attitude of assent towards a proposition. - Disbelief: an attitude of dissent towards a proposition. - Unbelief: an absence of both belief and disbelief towards a proposition - Faith: an attitude of trust, allegiance and loyalty to a doctrine (e.g. trinitarianism) or set of principles (e.g. methodological naturalism), a person (e.g. one's spouse), a social institution (the monarchy, the presidency, the church, the scientific community, etc.) and so on. - Theism: belief in the existence of gods. - Atheism: unbelief in the existence gods. - Scientific atheism: unbelief in gods justified on scientific grounds; i.e. on the grounds of current theoretical and factual knowledge (see Science above). - Agnosticism: the admission of ignorance on a certain matter, which may or may not lead to a suspension of belief with regard to that matter.