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It seems to me there a couple of things missing from this discussion:
First, with regard to the biological imperative to procreate, there is
an important distinction between the individual and the collective.
Whether or not I am able to father children is immaterial to the
larger question of can the species continue? The same holds true when
talking about diseases such as H1N1 or AIDS. While they affect a
larger group, it is still an issue of scale (it's also anthropomorphic
- seen from the pathogen's persepctive....). Third, and most
important, is to be careful not to interchange the theory of
evolution with the process of evolution.
On the notion of the assimilation of knowledge as a function of some
biological imperative - I would argue it is highly unlikely. While
it may be true in the particular - "It will help me to survive and
reproduce if I know x,y,z." - it does nothing to explain much of what
we know, much of what we study. For instance, I would argue there was
little immediate evolutionary value in discovering Saturn is
surrounded by rings of ice fragments. What about the body of
knowledge built around the humanities - music and art, just to name
two? A biological bent does not explain, except perhaps as a minor
byproduct, either the curious mind or the spiritual mind.
Finally, why is there so much confusion about the basic meaning of
evolution (the confusion between survival of the fittest vs. survival
of the adequate)? I'm surprised we haven't heard from any
constructivists. "Survival of the fittest" was perhaps a convenient
short-hand which 'evolved' into a collective certainty. Perhaps it is
because evolution most often occurs on a timescale that is beyond
ordinary comprehension. Or maybe it has to do with the egocentric
view that is part of most western societies, where consideration of
species is too abstract a leap for the uninitiated individual.
Regardless, its a complex issue and is not likely due to any one
cause, but rather represents a confluence of the many ways we interact
with and are informed by our environment as we seek to develop a world
view that has personal meaning.
Jeff Courtman
Museumscapes
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