Kinds of evolutionary theorists

PUBLISHER:

redshirt

Shaun Johnston:
In modern times we've made two revolutionary discoveries. One is, how changes in physical matter can be accounted for in terms of physical laws that can predict precisely what will happen next. Having given rise to science (how this can be studied) and industry (how it can be applied) this revolution is well under way.

The second revolution is, how emergence of species of living creatures can be accounted for in terms of them evolving from one another. This revolution, despite its promise of how much it could tell us about ourselves, remains stillborn through the mistaken application to it of principles coming out of the first revolution--reductive physicalism.

For this second revolution to advance it should be taken from under the wing of science and studied on its own terms. Tip: one recent product of evolution is creatures with minds. Minds are better studied through methods of the humanities than through those of science. Tell me, does this interest you?

Details: Written by Shaun Johnston Shaun Johnston; Published: February 5, 2012 February 5, 2012; Hits: 3617 3617

I've come up with a set of categories for evolutionary theorists of all kinds. My categories are based not on the principles they appeal to but their reasons for caring. I've posted my list under "Outsider Evolution." It begins: "Because evolution has profound implications for human nature each tradition of belief about human nature, in coming to terms with humans having evolved, has felt compelled to propose for that process a mechanism that supports that tradition. Over time defenders of those beliefs have separated out into parties. The main parties are..." Read on...

And, I assess the value of this categorization compared to knowing the themes addressed in theories in a comparison of books by Robert Reid and Peter Corning here.