Re: A Proposal

lhaarsma@OPAL.TUFTS.EDU
Mon, 19 Aug 1996 10:30:05 -0400 (EDT)

On Thu, 15 Aug 1996, Stephen Jones wrote:

> So does TE differ from NE in that the former says that
> random mutations are directed but unpredictable and the latter says
> they are undirected and unpredictable ?

That's one important difference(*). Another is that TE says that
the laws of nature, which establish the landscape of "genomic phase
space," were designed; while NE offers no answer that I can discern,
beyond capital-C "Chance," for natural law's existence and
characteristics. I could probably think of a few
more differences, but those two will suffice for now.

I think it was Brian Harper who made the most succinct distinction:
"MIndful Intention."

( (*) Both PC and TE have descriptions in which every event is
"directed," and both have descriptions in which every event is overseen,
but not every one is necessarily "directed" (i.e. God self-limits
himself in granting his creation a cetain amount of freedom,
analogous to human freedom).)

Loren Haarsma