(October 10, 2009 at 10:50 pm)ecolox Wrote: Humans have conscious intelligence. Can that just happen?No. It needs an explanation. It has one: Evolution.
Quote:The universe is governed by unseen, intelligible constraints. If the universe makes sense then can't we assume it had an intelligent source?No. What a massive assumption to make. You then would need to explain such a source. You'd need to explain God, and then explain whatever explained him.
We have intelligence, but we have an explanation: Evolution - unlike God, who doesn't have one. And it's not rational to assume things exist - i.e.: "God" - without an explanation, and without evidence.
Quote:One that is inline/compatible with our own intelligence.Intelligence develops through evolution. It comes about through less intelligent means.
The universe doesn't have to have a mind in order for us to have minds to understand it.
Quote:For example: If you discovered (for the first time) the works of Shakespeare in the wild, isn't it fairly safe to assume they were produced by intelligence since they are so intelligible?No. That's not an assumption, that's a fact we understand that books are written by intelligent beings - i.e. us people - and they don't evolve. What about Shakespeare who wrote his works though? He was born, and the explanation for where he came from, is in his genes: Which comes about through evolution.
Quote: Or perhaps one of the infinite monkeys typed it out by accident? I don't know, just tell me how this is wrong.
It's wrong because it's a creationist argument that lacks an understanding of evolution. Dawkins deals with this in The Blind Watchmaker. He even tackles the whole pathetic typewriters argument.
Evolution doesn't have by accident or all of a sudden. It's the very opposite, it happens naturally and incredibly gradually and slowly.
EvF
