On Mon, 11 Dec 1995 21:01:18 -0500 you wrote:
SJ>...I agree with Walter
>that evolution is like a fog that accommodates to the data. It has
>been backpedalling ever since Darwin's Origin of 1859. The theory
>today is nothing like Darwin originally predicted, and if it abandons
>the central role of natural selection in favout of Kauffman-style
>self-organising complexity, then it won't really be an evolutionary
>theory .
BH>Stephen, this is an amazing statement. I would be interested in
>seeing a definition of "evolutionary theory" which excludes
>Kauffman's theories.
I am no expert on Kauffman's theories, but I assume that mainstream
Neo-Darwinism would allow at best only a marginal role in its
blind wathmaker "evolutionary theory".
If Kauffman's theories do get incorporated into Darwinism, then it
will just go to show the infinite plasticity of the latter! :-)
>[....]
SJ>Sorry Denis, but modern materialistic-naturalistic science will not
>accept "contributions of the PCs and YECs".
BH>I know of at least one example to the contrary, <The Mystery of
>Life's Origin> by Thaxton, Bradley and Olsen. I have seen this
>book referenced in the mainstream abiogenesis literature many
>times and have not yet seen anyone even hint that the authors
>are creationists. I would have to check to be certain, but I
>believe it was Leslie Orgel who referenced the book in the same
>sentence that he referenced one of his own papers. This is, of
>course, a great testament to the scholarly excelence of the book
>but also calls into question your insinuation that creationists
>are somehow being silenced.
Thaxton et al's book is indeed excellent. It has on back a favourable
review comment by Robert Shapiro, who was careful however to
distance himself from "the final philosophical conclusion' of the
book.
No doubt the book might be referenced by OOL researchers like
Orgel, because it does bring together much information that is
probably
not easily found elsewhere. Also, it broke new ground in defining the
limits of investigator interence.
But would mainstream journals like Science and Nature
carry an article by Thaxton, Bradley and Olsen, arguing the central
thesis of their book? I think you already know the answer! :-)
It is ironic that the foreword of the book was written by Prof. Dean
Kenyon, a prominent OOL researcher who was indeed "silenced"
by being summarily removed from teaching duties for daring to
suggest that life was a result of intelligent design.
God bless.
Stephen
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