Posts: 390
Threads: 8
Joined: March 17, 2012
Reputation:
6
RE: An interesting quote on evolution
March 19, 2012 at 9:02 am
(March 19, 2012 at 5:51 am)mannaka Wrote: Rhythm, mediamogul: That is true, languages are dreadful in this sense, subjective, irregular and (for most of us) tedious to learn.
That is with the exception of the language of mathematics, that has proven incredibly* well equipped to describe reality. (*Musings of which also fascinate me and wonderfully reviewed in this topic: )
It is with such a logical (in the sense that it is yet to fail us) language that I wish to cast my eye upon the world. Indeed biology is increasingly being analysed as such.
Don't get me wrong though. Language is, when excercised by a mind trained in logic, able to uncover many of its own shortcomings. I do think that it can tell us something real about the world. Language can also be used to describe fact or truth. If language didn't work, we would be unable to do thinks like make predictions and have them come true. If you want to see how language can malfunction look at the ontological argument for the existence of god. It is basic all the problems of logic condensed down into one annoying paragraphs worth of fallacies.
"A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything." -Friedrich Nietzsche
"All thinking men are atheists." -Ernest Hemmingway
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." -Voltaire
Posts: 24
Threads: 2
Joined: March 15, 2012
Reputation:
0
RE: An interesting quote on evolution
March 19, 2012 at 10:24 am
(This post was last modified: March 19, 2012 at 10:42 am by mannaka.)
Absolutely. Debates like this though really highlight its problems. Rather then focus on the fundamental thought process that the words are trying to convey, it is often the words themselves that get scrutinized. Indeed often people who are "good" at debating are those who are most capable of doing this. I freely admit that whilst I try to avoid this, I too get sucked in.
Others, just outright don't read. (& straw man etc.)
Having horribly digressed from the original topic, this is my attempt to summarize what has been said of the quote;
"The results of evolution we see today do not necessarily have to satisfy human logic." (If anyone should disagree, could they rephrase this statement rather than refute this without proposing a replacement)
This, to me, is an unsatisfactory result and there is no shame in researching such issues so that it does satisfy human logic (for this is not static). That is after all, as I understand it, the principle of science. Likewise, there is no shame in saying in the meantime, for lack of evidence, that we just don't know*.
*EDIT: On short reflection, I see why many atheists would lament such a statement, for it'd create a space for a deity. Something that an agnostic living in the UK such as myself might fail to appreciate.
