“Intelligence,” OUT OF NOTHINGNESS!

[bennyboy]

I'd really like to know in what specific sense evolution is seen as not being random, without first requiring the acceptance of absolute physical determinism as a confirmed aspect of reality.

Evolution, in the sense of descent with modification, is a non-random process whereby beneficial traits are selected for. This is why camels have third eyelids and elephants don't have thin legs and bird claws. In other words, evolutionary traits are manifestly NOT selected for randomly, any more than you would install a fuel injection system on a bird feeder, just because one happened to be available.

Mutation is indeed random, but mutation, in and of itself, is not evolution.

Boru

Maybe, but you will get a variety of adaptations to a new environment. And given two similar environments which are isolated from each other, you will very possibly get different adaptations (and species). Just because new phenotypes are better adapted doesn't mean they aren't also random.

Imagine that a group of early humans or prehumans was killed by an unfortunate event, rather than making a lucky escape. Totally random event, massive effect on evolution.