intelligent design in Nature

[John Grehan]

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From: Taxacom Discussion List on behalf of Frederick W. Schueler

* well sure -- purpose (survival, reproduction, agrandizement of
resources) is the first product of natural selection. 
 
None of these outcomes have empirically been demonstrated to be purposes.
 
Around the level
of the 'units of selection' attributing purpose is a useful shorthand

I would not see it 'useful' if it is not true.

(if perilous in the presence of ID evangelists, and so long as the
author and reader both keep in mind the chain of hypotheses being
referenced) 

So one has to go down a perilous road of writing one thing and meaning another? That's good science?

-- the Salamander goes to the pond to breed; 
 
This is not 'evolutionary' biology (which is what I was referrring to) but even with the salamander I have yet to ask of it, why go to the pond. It does and breeding is a result. But purpose?
 
the salivary
gland secretes amylase to digest starch 
 
I have yet to be able to ask the salivary gland. The glands do secret amylase and the amylase does disgest starch. These are empirical observations and therefore scientific. Imputing purpose to these actions and outcomes is all ID theory.
 
-- it's when the language is
used below or above the units of selection -- the DNA achieves its
purposes in life or the species regulates its numbers -- that
attributing purpose is dangerous (or stupid), because it's not tied to
any real chain of reasoning, and is just error rather than a shorthand
notation.
 
I still wonder about the chain of reasoning. Even withing evolutionary theory there can be ID philosophy as indicated by de Chardin (as pointed out by Pierre).

fred (purposefully ducking down under the keyboard wearing a flame-proof
hat).
 
Watch out for low flying ID's
 
John Grehan
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