Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: Diamond
By defintion, NO evolutionary process is dysfunctional.

What about detrimental mutations? Evolution accounts for them nicely, but does not claim they are not dysfunctional. Methinks you made that up by yourself.

456 posted on 05/21/2002 10:59:58 AM PDT by Junior
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 447 | View Replies ]


To: Junior
What about detrimental mutations? Evolution accounts for them nicely, but does not claim they are not dysfunctional.

The notion of dsyfunction is related to the ideas of design or purpose. I can say that my refrigerator works as it is ought to because it was designed for a purpose. Presumably there is no corresponding purpose in any evolutionary process. A 'detrimental' mutation is just as much a part of the evolutionary process as a 'beneficial' mutation. A dead organism killed by some mutation is part of the same evolutionary process as a living organism across the street that was not killed by the mutation. Both can be said to function 'normally' in the random, impersonal evolutionary scheme. As far as I can tell, the only 'purpose' of evolution is total extinction.

Cordially,

495 posted on 05/21/2002 11:56:59 AM PDT by Diamond
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 456 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson