Miscellany (General)

by dhw, Monday, September 20, 2021, 08:07 (950 days ago) @ David Turell

Opossum

dhw: I agree that my own proposal (the first opossum to use the strategy was either very clever, or discovered it by accident, and then passed it on to others who passed it on...) in no way fits yours [preprogrammed 3.8 billion years ago, or the result of your God giving personal tuition to that first opossum]. But I have to admit, I actually find it more believable than your theories!

This is a constant thread throughout our discussions on evolution. I can't help wondering if you have dropped the subject because you have realized how much more convincing my proposal is.

DAVID: So you agree we are exceptional.

dhw: I’ve just said so. […] I am calling for a balanced view, so why have you picked on only one part of the balance?

DAVID: Not balanced. Yes we have animal bodies, but our bodies can make exceptional moves (gymnastics) and our brains are extraordinary. Stop diminishing the differences.

dhw: How can I be diminishing the differences when I say that the degree of development etc. makes us exceptional? You only want to point out the differences, while I point out the similarities and the differences. You need two things to balance, and you only want to focus on one.

DAVID: Your comparisons tend to diminish the differences.

I’ve answered above, so here are two further questions. Do you or do you not agree that in one way we are NOT exceptional, because our bodies, culture, morality, rationality and language have their origins in those of our animal ancestors? Do you or do you not agree that we ARE exceptional because we have developed all of these to a degree which is vastly greater than theirs? If you do not agree, please tell us why.