Origins of our ideas about evolution

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: April 5, 2018 April 5, 2018; Hits: 3040 3040

To identify in the Ancient World the traditions leading up to the classic texts reviewed on this site I've come up with my own lay-person’s top-of-head gloss on the subject. I trace those traditions back to our evolved capabilities. This should be an integral part of our study of evolution, how these capacities evolved in us perhaps only a dozen or so centuries ago. More...