I have an analogy for you: at low levels, all
computer programs have to be perfectly
logical, they depend on logic in absolute
terms. But at higher levels, program design
can be quite illogical, especially, eg, the
user-interface. The fact that,
fundamentally, the physical word operates
logically, as do genetics and memetics,
does not mean that complex creatures must
behave logically. Logic works at the lower
levels, but you can't use it in any rigorous
way at the higher ones. In theory, you
can always reduce higher level phenomena
to lower level ones, but in practice that's
rarely possible. In theory, given reduction
and maybe other things such as
generalisation (to move between actual
individual behaviours and genetically-
determined tendencies), logic should
always apply, but I say that fact (?) has
few or no practical implications.
> >> Evolution does behave as if
> >> it is a rational designer without forethought (if you can
> >> imagine such a beast).
> >>
> >That's like saying a genius behaves like an extraordinarily
> >intelligent idiot.
>
> You lost me. How is it an oxymoron?
>
Because a rational designer without forethought
is not a designer, and even less a rational one.
"Designed" normally means, did not come about
through sheer chance, unless you want to redefine
*that* word too! :-)
Robin