From: Glenn Morton (glennmorton@entouch.net)
Date: Mon Aug 11 2003 - 21:44:22 EDT
Walter, I don't see that your quote and analysis actually does what you
claim. The fact was known that Egyptian cats were identical to modern cats,
meaning evolution was slow. But Kelvin, by shortening the time evolution
had at its disposal, made evolution much less believable. That is the
backtracking. It had nothing to do with descent.
-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu]On
Behalf Of Walter Hicks
Sent: Monday, August 11, 2003 11:34 AM
To: Michael Roberts
Cc: ASA
Subject: Re: Darwin quote
Michael,
Both you and Glenn Morton imply that this was backtracking from his
original position. This is not the case, since he was quoting his original
contention in the first edition. I quote from the introduction of that first
edition.
"I am fully convinced that species are not immutable; but that those
belonging to what are called the same genera are lineal descendants of some
other and generally extinct species, in the same manner as the acknowledged
varieties of any one species are the descendants of that species.
Furthermore, I am convinced that Natural Selection has been the main but not
exclusive means of modification."
What he did not say is that species arose from anything other than natural
descent. That would apply no matter what Kelvin's time frame was. However,
the total exclusivity of natural selection as a mechanism is something he
dienies in the first edition and then emphasices in the 6th edition.
It is nice for mind readers to tell us what he really thought, but why not
take him at his word?
I really have no desire to read a complete book on the subject but would
welcome any insights you could provide from your own readings.
Walt
Michael Roberts wrote:
Part of the reason Darwin back-tracked over Nat Selection was the
shortness of geological time insisted on by Lord Kelvin and others where
100my was seen as the upper limit. Thus there was too little time for NS to
do its work. Kelvin was wrong and also Darwin in giving into a mere
physicist. See Joe Burchfield's books and articles on this Michael
===================================
Walt Hicks <wallyshoes@mindspring.com>
In any consistent theory, there must
exist true but not provable statements.
(Godel's Theorem)
You can only find the truth with logic
If you have already found the truth
without it. (G.K. Chesterton)
===================================
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