tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post3760292383901435945..comments2024-03-19T07:48:54.021-06:00Comments on Gus Van Horn: Arbitrary "Excitement"Gus Van Hornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-74688574637042437102009-10-15T15:21:50.802-06:002009-10-15T15:21:50.802-06:00madmax,
"[A]s I am sure you are aware, the b...madmax,<br /><br />"<i>[A]s I am sure you are aware, the bio-science crowd despises the concept of volition and free will.</i>" <br /><br />Yes. As I once explained to a friend, many of my colleagues are determinists in addition to being skeptics. (That combination made her laugh.)<br /><br />As for the notion of evolution stopping, the very idea makes my teeth curl. One CAN argue that very little (approximately none) has been able to occur in that time frame, but even that notion glosses over genetic variability known to occur among individuals and even among populations (which is ultimately HOW evolution can occur at all). Some of this variability is likely a result of environmental changes that have occurred since that time.<br /><br />GusGus Van Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-16253980137829397212009-10-15T13:43:24.490-06:002009-10-15T13:43:24.490-06:00Gus,
Many evolutionary psychologists and other be...Gus,<br /><br />Many evolutionary psychologists and other behavioral scientists will criticize the social sciences for the view that "evolution simply stopped" 40,000 years ago. The evpsych people will go on to say that evolution has continued to develop humanity in countless ways with the development of the races, differing intellectual capabilities based on heredity, different physical appearances to assist as tests for reproductive fitness, etc.. <br /><br />I think this is true. We are still evolving in many ways. But the point that the ev psych and bio-sciences crowd don't get and don't want to get is that the development of a volitional consciousness is of so great a magnitude that it makes all other developments pale in comparison. But sadly, as I am sure you are aware, the bio-science crowd despises the concept of volition and free will. <br /><br />Rand's quote is amazingly penetrating. Thanks for reminding me of it. When she writes this: "longing for the effortless "safety" of an animal's consciousness, which he cannot recapture..." it makes me think that many of today's scientific materialists want just that - to retreat to the evolutionary wiring of a primitive animal (including primitive man) that did not possess the capacity for self-definition. The mystics are of course no better as they counter these materialists with fear-soothing fantasies of all powerful gods and magic kingdoms.madmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14375140131881725965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-59265067859676105112009-10-15T09:29:55.127-06:002009-10-15T09:29:55.127-06:00Jasmine,
Thanks. It almost also went down as a m...Jasmine, <br /><br />Thanks. It almost also went down as a memorable gaffe: After quoting Perkins, my mind somehow latched on to D'Souza's name and started using it instead of "Chopra" for the rest of the post. <br /><br />I caught the error, but only after posting this with the mistake in it for a few minutes.<br /><br />Whew!<br /><br />GusGus Van Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-37065066206854352522009-10-15T09:19:13.471-06:002009-10-15T09:19:13.471-06:00Gus,
Just completed reading the entire post. (Earl...Gus,<br />Just completed reading the entire post. (Earlier took a break from finishing reading the post to comment after reading only the first para to share my Eureka moment!)<br />Excellent observations, integrations and contrasting examples. This post will surely go down as a rare gem! Thanks!<br /><br />Jasmine<br /><br />JasmineRational Educationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02520568540990573166noreply@blogger.com