Teleology & evolution (Introduction)

by David Turell , Sunday, October 20, 2013, 16:04 (3847 days ago) @ George Jelliss

George, I sincerely appreciate your following our discussions. The article has an important paragraph. I've read the Nagel book and agree with his thought that teleology must be accounted for. Unforunately he asks the question and has no answer (as an atheist):-"You may be raising your eyebrows at this. But Birnbaum's perspective isn't without precedent. Since Aristotle, some thinkers have been drawn to the notion that the world must be heading somewhere ... that there is some kind of force in the universe, pushing things forward. These teleological arguments are deeply unfashionable nowadays, but there's nothing inherently unscientific about them. In his controversial 2012 book Mind And Cosmos, the US philosopher Thomas Nagel argues that teleology might be the only way to account for the still unsolved mystery of why consciousness exists. Still, as Birnbaum explained his theory, I must have looked underwhelmed, because he leaned forward in his chair to emphasise his point. "It works!" he said. "It's powerful! And with all due respect to Harvard, Oxford, etcetera... it's more powerful than anything you got!"-As an atheist Nagel had no answers, just a wish. It sounds like Birnbaum has also forgotten about the possibililty of God. That is one of the philosophic possibilites. My thought has always been, why is there anything and why does it seem to have directionality from inorganic matter to sentient beings? Cause and effect seem obvious. Then at the basis of reality is the mysterious quantum mechanics level, which seems to require consciousness to function. And our conscious brains are not allowed to fully understand it. And so we have mysterious appearance of something we don't fully understand. And if you believe the statements of Richard Feynman we never will. -So you and I are at the opposite ends of faith. I have come to believe in a universal consciousness the religions call God and you have your faith in pure chance from what? -By the way my book is with a publisher and about to appear, with a full discussion of the necessity for a First Cause. I'm a follower of Aristotle and St. Thomas, and Ed Feser (former atheist) in my thinking.