Re: From AAT to Wittgenstein? Skip it!

H. M. Hubey (hubey@pegasus.montclair.edu)
26 Oct 1995 23:10:22 -0400

ghanenbu@inter.nl.net (Gerrit Hanenburg) writes:

>Evolve and devolve are just cumulative change. Easy.

They have to do with direction of complexity and not with
cumulative change per se.

>Probably allways? Between the first replicator and the "scientist" is so
>much contingency that the former may never again lead to the latter.

That should say something about the complexity of this science
and how much we know about it.

Besides, I can say, for sure it will happen, and be convinced
of it, and offer evidence but whether I can convince anyone
is a function of their knowledge level.

>The fact that it happend once may be a hell of big exception.
>In the words of Stephen J.Gould:"Homo sapiens is an entity,not a tendency."

Hmmmm.. See the book "We are Not Alone."

It's a tendency since we are just one possible instantiation of
intelligent beings possible on some specific planet. Whether all
intelligent life on every planet will look like us is debatable
but will probably have many of our attributes.

>"evolution toward this end...",sounds like teleological determination a la
>Teilhard de Chardin.

So it seems to those who cannot entertain other types of models
in their minds.

-- 





				Regards, Mark

				http://www.smns.montclair.edu/~hubey