(October 4, 2013 at 2:43 am)FallentoReason Wrote:genkaus Wrote:C2 is an invalid conclusion - The actual conclusion that can be drawn from P2 and C1 is that "our cognitive functions came about for the purpose of survivability". Whether or not survivability hinges on determining the truth or whether it does so necessarily has not been established. As it happens, your basic survival does hinge on your ability to determine the truth.
Does a caveman running away from perhaps a lion necessarily need to know that a lion is a four-legged carnivore that is closely related to other felines, or could he believe it to be a sack of potatoes dressed in a scary way yet *still* have the urge to run away and *survive*, despite whatever falsehoods he might believe?
He does have to know that it either is or resembles something which can be dangerous. The caveman who doesn't run from anything might be risking getting killed, the caveman who runs from everything may starve to death. Survival is best guaranteed when the caveman knows what to run from and what to run at.
