Brad McCormick wrote: > >> Remember, Darwinean evolution > >> don't give a sh-t about anybody or anything -- it's the natural analog of > >> what persons create in the form of "free enterprise" > > > > Ah, but evolution is about long-term sustainability whereas > > "free enterprise" is pretty much about the opposite... > > > I don't think this is correct. Evolution *looks to us* like it is about > long-term sustainability when the environment is relatively constant. > > But clearly, 66 million years ago, the dinosaurs would have evolved > toward better long-term sustainability had they adapted to the > meteor that was a million years ahead. They had enough time to > do it! (Well, maybe some of them did, since we still have birds > flitting about....)
That meteor was a big exception (sudden vast change of system). But evolution even adapted to that -- smaller creatures who were better adapted to the new conditions "replaced" the big dinosaurs. Anyway, the point of long-term sustainability is on how lifeforms shape their environment, rather than the other way around. Those who destroy their environment i.e. their niche, will disappear over time. Oops, that's "us"... But don't confuse evolution as a whole with the parts that disappear -- actually this disappearing is _part_ of evolution! > To paraphrase Heraclitus: > > So vast is the extent of thought > that it can never encounter anything outside itself. > > (Sort of like trying to find a pebble in photographs of pebbles, only > moreso....) Thought _can_ encounter something (hitherto) outside itself whenever something new hits the thinker -- after which it becomes part of thought. Chris ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SpamWall: Mail to this addy is deleted unread unless it contains the keyword "igve". _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
