Re: Joel and Bryant /talk/ about Sociobiology and other stuff

Joel and Lynn Gazis-Sax (gazissax@best.com)
Mon, 19 Aug 1996 18:06:21 -0800

CU Student wrote:
>
> In article <3214DEC7.35A5@best.com>, Joel and Lynn Gazis-Sax
> <gazissax@best.com> wrote:
>
>
> >
> > Bryant wrote:
> > >
> > > In article <321251F3.716E@best.com>....
>
> > > Joel and Lynn Gazis-Sax <gazissax@best.com> wrote:....
> > >
> > >As I have understood some vulgar variants on sociobiology, everything
> > a human being does goes to helping the gene pool in some way. I see
> > it in a different fashion: I say that there are some things which
> > happen in this little world of ours which happen for no reason. /But/
> > the important thing is that they are not significant enough to affect
> > the gene pool!
> >
> > Let's take the example of suicide....
> >
> > What I would add is that the gene pool /doesn't care/ about suicide. The
> > species /doesn't/ care. Individuals may or may not care about surviving.
> > In vulgar versions of sociobiology, the talk is as if the gene has a
> > mind of its own. I say that it has no more mind than any other chemical
> > reaction or property. Some of the atoms in this universe have come
> > together to form living organisms. Is there a plan in this? A pattern,
> > yes, but when you start anthropomorphizing the gene, calling it "selfish",
> > little alarm bells ring in my head. Isn't this making a gene into
> > some kind of God? We're giving /it/ a motive when we do that. I
> > don't think it is that smart, merely luckilly programmed by the process
> > of evolution.
> >
>
> To Joel and Lynn GAzis-SAx:
>
> Ruskin termed it the pathetic fallacy: the imputation of human feelings to
> inanimate nature.
>
> -- Orson Olson
> Univ. of Colrado, Boulder

Not to deny the value of a science education, but it is nice to see someone
who has been educated in the nature of metaphor! :)

Regards,

Joel

-- 

        ___ ___ 

       /\ _|_ /\      Joel and Lynn GAzis-SAx

      / /\_|_/\ \     gazissax@best.com

     / / /\|/\ \ \    http://www.best.com/~gazissax/

 ----------o----------------------------------------------------------

     \ \ \/|\/ / /    "If we try to flee from our human condition into  

      \ \/_|_\/ /     the computer, we only meet ourselves there."

       \/__|__\/                        William Barrett