biologically is what separates the philosopher and the biologist. Most biological phenomena are not
logical. That is why theology lost touch with biologists. What is logical about a dinosaur? Or a trilobite?
Nothing. William Paley wanted to make nature logical. He is the father of "intelligent design"
In crossing a heath, suppose I pitched my foot against a stone, and were asked how the stone came to
be there, I might possibly answer, that ... it had lain there forever.... But suppose I had found a watch
upon the ground, and it should be inquired how the watch happened to be in that place, I should
hardly think of the answer which I had before given.... For ... when we come to inspect the watch, we
perceive ... that its several parts are ... put together for a purpose.... We think that the watch must
have had a maker.
William Paley, theologian and moral philosopher (1806)
Darwin himself lost interest in Paley's views after he had discovered the implications of natural
selection. More recently, Gould beautifully destroyed the notion that biology and evolution are logical.
(His book Wonderful Life reveals that humans are extremely unlikely creatures; I highly recommend this
easy-to-read and interesting book.) He states, "People ... reject the idea that they are completely
predetermined robots." That is because they can't imagine what this means. They have no depth of
imagination on the topic because they are totally ignorant about how minds work and what it means to
have a complicated brain. It is a very weak argument you advance and I recommend that you abandon it
quickly and never use it in a discussion with a neurobiologist. In philosophical circles I am sure it would
go over just fine, however.
Dear Greg:
I hope your time in California is going well. It seems that the fires are out now. I know well the Waterman
Canyon and Del Rosa areas of San Bernardino, part of which went up in flames. Some of my old stomping
grounds were decimated.
Clutching children, pets and belongings, tens of thousands of mountain and foothill residents fled as the
billowing monster consumed wildland, homes, and businesses. From its ignition in Waterman Canyon on
Saturday, October, 25, 2003, the fiery rampage along the San Bernardino Mountains destroy[ed] 976
homes and result[ed] in six deaths during the crisis. Two months later 14 people were killed as scorched
hillsides collapsed during torrential rain, burying parts of Waterman Canyon in over 20 feet of mud and
debris.
"The Old Fire," rimoftheworld.net
I did partly misunderstand your note. My impression was that you thought all human behavior was
predetermined by internal biological events, so to speak, leaving no room for environment. I see now that
that's not right, and I'm glad, as the view I thought you held was pretty reductionistic. (I agree, by the way,
that the note I sent you wasn't well thought out-I wrote it after dinner guests overstayed their welcome by
about two hours!)
Here are some thoughts and responses to your note.