[Taxacom] teleology example

[Fred Schueler]

Quoting Richard Zander <Richard.Zander at mobot.org>:

> This thread is actually quite bizarre. Whether you think about it . . .
> or not.

* actually not an infrequent occurrence on TAXACOM, whether you think  
about it or not...

fred.
====================================================


>
> Clearly most of us think that the author did not write "purpose" on
> purpose.
>
> But then, do even humans really have purpose? Or are we just neurons
> firing in concert following some higher pattern in the universe, and we
> pretend we have free-will and . . . purpose? Perhaps we are all just
> organic machines, and what we think is purpose is just reflex
> machination? Or are we living in a big video game following the higher
> purpose of a multidiminsional Xbox?
>
>
>
> ____________________________
> Richard H. Zander
> Missouri Botanical Garden, PO Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166-0299 USA
> Web sites: http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/resbot/ and
> http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/bfna/bfnamenu.htm
> Modern Evolutionary Systematics Web site:
> http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/resbot/21EvSy.htm
> UPS and FedExpr -  MBG, 4344 Shaw Blvd, St. Louis 63110 USA
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
> [mailto:taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Curtis Clark
> Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2013 9:43 PM
> To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
> Subject: Re: [Taxacom] teleology example
>
> On 2013-03-06 6:12 PM, John Grehan wrote:
>> Here's a nice explicit example: "it's hard to see how these hair-like
>> processes would evolve if they didn't serve a purpose."
>
> "Purpose" is often used as an unfortunate substitute for "function" by
> biologists. Sloppy writing doesn't always mean sloppy thinking.
>
> --
> Curtis Clark        http://www.csupomona.edu/~jcclark
> Biological Sciences                   +1 909 869 4140
> Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona CA 91768
>
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