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Re: Social Darwinism
Posted By: Ben A. PotterDate: 8/11/05 11:10 a.m.

In Response To: Re: Social Darwinism (Dylan)

[snip]

: Evolution is not, and cannot be, an exact field of science, for millions of
: years. This is because the scientific method requires observation (consult
: any dictionary), and we simply have not had sufficient time for this
: observation process. Conincidentally the majority of the existing
: evidence, such as the panda's thumb, does not strengthen the theory.

Evolutionary biology is in fact a productive field of science. According to your (rather incorrect) view, entire fields of astronomy, geology, paleontology, biology, archaeology, etc. are not science. I disagree with this inadequate definition. "Observation" is indeed crucial to effective science, but by your restrictive definition, quantum mechanics, subatomic theory, cosmology, etc. are not sciences because no one has directly observed an electron or quark. Scientific observation includes the results of natural processes (i.e., they act in the past and present and future). Forensic sciences and historical sciences (geology, paleontology, archaeology) use the dynamics of the present and the observations of the present to construct and test hypotheses about processes that operate both in the past and present. The panda's thumb is a very good example of certain aspects of evolution. It certainly does not weaken evolution in any way. See:
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/jury-rigged.html

: The theory has gone through significant changes but evolution is an
: inadaquate term. It means to many things. Have you ever heard of something
: like the evolution of the car? Guess what, cars are designed. (Durandal
: made me write that last sentence.)

"Evolution" used colloquially by non-scientists is not equivalent to "evolution" in a biological sense. The term means specific (and different) things in cosmology, evolutionary biology, and car enthusiasts. The changes in evolutionary theory have not been significant or dramatic since the incorporation of genetics in the standard model in the 1930s-1940s. The mechanisms remain the same: genetic mutation, natural selection, allopatric speciation, genetic drift, gene flow, etc. What has changed since the 1940s are refined discussions of modes and tempos of change, relative importance and interaction of mechanisms, and the like.

Furthermore darwinism is a relevant
: term, for his original theory said all current animals are derived, by a
: natural process of change, from older and different ones.

Which is the fact of evolution, which has been demonstrated since the late 19th century.

While the
: mechanism of the theory has changed the conclusion is still the same.

The importance and interaction of the various mechanisms are what are referred to by the Theory of Evolution.

: Creationism is also a poor term, because the opposition always thinks they
: defend a 10,000 year old earth. One last thought before I go back into
: stasis; Intelligent design is not a theory explaining that the world must
: have been designed, but rather a disproval of Darwinism.

A disproval of evolution is not a scientific theory. ID proponents don't state that they are disproving evolution, only that evolutionary mechanisms cannot (in their opinion) produce the types of features they think they see. They are, of course, mistaken. ID is not a scientific theory, nor even an hypothesis. They have never conducted (or even designed) an experiment, have not described what "design" should look like, and are virtually unpublished in peer reviewed journals. Science isn't done in a dictionary, media, or public schools, it is done in the scientific community (peer-reviewed journals).

Ben

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Pre-2004 Posts

Replies:

Marathon PfhorD-M.A. 8/2/05 6:01 a.m.
     Re: Marathon PfhorJohn Molloy 8/2/05 6:41 a.m.
     Re: Marathon PfhorVid Boi 8/2/05 9:33 a.m.
           tBC's and Frigidman's replies are kinda intriguin *NM*D-M.A. 8/2/05 10:49 a.m.
                 Yeah, maybe. *NM*Bob-B-Q 8/2/05 11:35 a.m.
                 that's what i would have doneMrHen 8/2/05 2:07 p.m.
                       Re: that's what i would have doneVid Boi 8/2/05 11:48 p.m.
                             It's not dead, it's 11 pages long and counting! *NM*D-M.A. 8/2/05 11:54 p.m.
                                   11 pages long, counting, and not about 'Thon... *NM*Vid Boi 8/4/05 1:48 a.m.
           *sigh* I'll never get a PC Forge... *NM*reagan64 8/5/05 6:14 p.m.
     Re: Marathon PfhorReiginko 8/3/05 5:31 a.m.
           Re: Marathon PfhorD-M.A. 8/3/05 6:01 a.m.
                 Re: Marathon PfhorOri 8/3/05 6:33 a.m.
                       Re: Marathon PfhorJacke 8/3/05 10:47 a.m.
                             Re: Marathon PfhorJohn Molloy 8/3/05 1:17 p.m.
                             ehh...MrHen 8/3/05 1:57 p.m.
                             Re: Marathon PfhorD-M.A. 8/3/05 6:06 p.m.
                                   Re: Marathon PfhorJohn Molloy 8/3/05 6:32 p.m.
                                         Re: Marathon PfhorForrest of B.org 8/3/05 6:59 p.m.
                                               Re: Marathon PfhorJohn Molloy 8/3/05 7:06 p.m.
                                                     Re: Marathon PfhorVid Boi 8/4/05 2:15 a.m.
                                               Someone thinks I'm bright! Happy joy joy :-) *NM*D-M.A. 8/4/05 3:53 a.m.
                                         if by all men...MrHen 8/4/05 4:55 a.m.
                                               Re: if by all men...Forrest of B.org 8/4/05 6:01 p.m.
                                                     I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, Forrest? *NM*Steve Levinson 8/4/05 7:18 p.m.
                                                           Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestForrest of B.org 8/4/05 8:43 p.m.
                                                                 Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestD-M.A. 8/4/05 11:09 p.m.
                                                                       Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestForrest of B.org 8/5/05 7:57 a.m.
                                                                             Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestJohn Molloy 8/5/05 2:28 p.m.
                                                                                   Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestForrest of B.org 8/6/05 10:07 p.m.
                                                                                         Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestJohn Molloy 8/6/05 11:42 p.m.
                                                                                               Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestJohannes Gunnar 8/7/05 12:31 a.m.
                                                                                         Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestJohannes Gunnar 8/7/05 12:31 a.m.
                                                                             Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestVid Boi 8/7/05 12:49 a.m.
                                                                                   Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestAndrew Nagy 8/8/05 6:46 a.m.
                                                                                         Off! Weirdness... *NM*Vid Boi 8/8/05 4:10 p.m.
                                                     I like the fishnets Forrestblake37 8/5/05 3:06 a.m.
                                                     LOL! i like your outfit Forrest! :P *NM*Johannes Gunnar 8/5/05 4:32 a.m.
                                               Re: if by all men...Vid Boi 8/7/05 12:56 a.m.
                                                     I hate that term.MrHen 8/7/05 6:15 a.m.
                                                           Re: I hate that term.Steve Levinson 8/7/05 10:45 a.m.
                                                                 agreedMrHen 8/8/05 5:01 a.m.
                                                                       Re: agreedSteve Levinson 8/8/05 6:03 a.m.
                                                                             Re: agreedblake37 8/8/05 6:50 a.m.
                                                                                   Re: agreedSteve Levinson 8/8/05 8:14 a.m.
                                                                                         Re: agreedMrHen 8/8/05 10:26 a.m.
                                                                                         Re: agreedblake37 8/8/05 4:03 p.m.
                                                                                         Re: agreedVid Boi 8/8/05 4:32 p.m.
                                                                                               haha, yeah...MrHen 8/8/05 5:39 p.m.
                                                                                                     Re: haha, yeah...Tyler 8/9/05 6:41 a.m.
                                                                             ah, okayMrHen 8/8/05 9:59 a.m.
                                                                 Re: I hate that term.Dylan 8/9/05 4:28 a.m.
                                                                       uh... now i'm confused...MrHen 8/9/05 5:17 a.m.
                                                                             Re: uh... now i'm confused...Dylan 8/9/05 8:59 a.m.
                                                                                   hating terminals? *gasp!*MrHen 8/9/05 9:23 a.m.
                                                                                   Re: uh... now i'm confused...AlfredMordeir 8/9/05 7:00 p.m.
                                                                                         Re: uh... now i'm confused...MrHen 8/10/05 4:52 a.m.
                                                                                         Re: uh... now i'm confused...Dylan 8/11/05 4:39 a.m.
                                                                                               I usually don't copy articles but, Oh well.AlfredMordeir 8/11/05 8:54 a.m.
                                                                                   Social DarwinismDave 8/10/05 2:53 a.m.
                                                                                         more on social darwinismMrHen 8/10/05 5:10 a.m.
                                                                                               Re: more on social darwinismReiginko 8/10/05 6:47 a.m.
                                                                                                     Ohh...MrHen 8/10/05 8:46 a.m.
                                                                                                     Re: more on social darwinismVid Boi 8/10/05 11:40 a.m.
                                                                                                           Haha, that's terrible. *NM*MrHen 8/11/05 5:05 a.m.
                                                                                                     Re: more on social darwinismMrHen 8/11/05 5:19 a.m.
                                                                                                           Re: more on social darwinismDave 8/11/05 7:10 a.m.
                                                                                                                 Re: more on social darwinismReiginko 8/11/05 7:49 a.m.
                                                                                                                       god of the gapsMrHen 8/11/05 8:32 a.m.
                                                                                                                       Re: more on social darwinismForrest of B.org 8/11/05 9:19 a.m.
                                                                                                           Re: more on social darwinismForrest of B.org 8/11/05 9:17 a.m.
                                                                                                                 not a fan of the linkMrHen 8/12/05 12:56 p.m.
                                                                                                                       Re: not a fan of the linkForrest of B.org 8/12/05 1:16 p.m.
                                                                                                                             mehMrHen 8/12/05 2:24 p.m.
                                                                                                                                   Spirituality vs RationalityForrest of B.org 8/12/05 3:34 p.m.
                                                                                                                                         Re: Spirituality vs RationalityMrHen 8/13/05 10:42 p.m.
                                                                                                           Re: more on social darwinismBen A. Potter 8/11/05 11:20 a.m.
                                                                                                                 truthMrHen 8/12/05 12:05 p.m.
                                                                                                                       Re: truthBen A. Potter 8/12/05 12:40 p.m.
                                                                                                                             agreedMrHen 8/12/05 1:01 p.m.
                                                                                               Re: more on social darwinismBen A. Potter 8/10/05 9:04 a.m.
                                                                                                     Re: more on social darwinismSteve Levinson 8/10/05 12:25 p.m.
                                                                                                           Re: more on social darwinismBen A. Potter 8/10/05 1:12 p.m.
                                                                                               Re: more on social darwinismDave 8/10/05 6:35 p.m.
                                                                                         Re: Social DarwinismDylan 8/11/05 5:02 a.m.
                                                                                               CreationismMrHen 8/11/05 5:15 a.m.
                                                                                               Re: Social DarwinismBen A. Potter 8/11/05 11:10 a.m.
                                                                                                     Re: Social DarwinismEnkidu 8/11/05 4:20 p.m.
                                                                 "Fundamentalists" and slippery-slopesMrHen 8/9/05 5:27 a.m.
                                                                       Has anybody noticed....blake37 8/9/05 7:06 a.m.
                                                                             and talk about off-topic . . . *NM*Steve Levinson 8/9/05 7:30 a.m.
                                                                             :PMrHen 8/9/05 7:52 a.m.
                                                                             Re: Has anybody noticed....D-M.A. 8/9/05 7:58 a.m.
                                                                       Re: "Fundamentalists" and slippery-slopesVid Boi 8/10/05 11:53 a.m.
                                                                             Re: "Fundamentalists" and slippery-slopesblake37 8/10/05 12:53 p.m.
                                                                             oops... *blushes* *NM*MrHen 8/11/05 5:16 a.m.
           Re: Marathon PfhorForrest of B.org 8/3/05 6:54 p.m.
                 Re: Marathon PfhorJohn Molloy 8/3/05 7:02 p.m.
                       Re: Marathon PfhorForrest of B.org 8/3/05 7:13 p.m.
                             Re: Marathon PfhorJohn Molloy 8/3/05 7:20 p.m.
                                   Re: Marathon PfhorForrest of B.org 8/3/05 7:40 p.m.
                                         Re: Marathon PfhorReiginko 8/4/05 12:19 a.m.
                                               Re: Marathon PfhorVid Boi 8/4/05 2:19 a.m.
                                               Re: Marathon PfhorForrest of B.org 8/4/05 6:19 p.m.
                                                     Re: Marathon PfhorReiginko 8/5/05 6:57 a.m.
                                                           Re: Marathon PfhorForrest of B.org 8/5/05 8:14 a.m.
                             Re: Marathon PfhorVid Boi 8/4/05 2:24 a.m.
                                   Re: Marathon PfhorMrHen 8/4/05 5:06 a.m.
                             oh... that makes much more sense...MrHen 8/4/05 5:11 a.m.
                                   Re: oh... that makes much more sense...Steve Levinson 8/4/05 1:04 p.m.
                                         Rumor updateukimalefu 8/4/05 7:49 p.m.
                                               Re: Rumor updateRedMage13 8/5/05 3:49 p.m.
                 Re: Marathon PfhorAndrew Nagy 8/8/05 7:53 a.m.

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