Re: Gene duplication and design

From: Brian D Harper (bharper@postbox.acs.ohio-state.edu)
Date: Thu Apr 27 2000 - 19:13:30 EDT

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    At 09:48 AM 4/27/00 -0700, Bill wrote:

    > > physical intelligence, etc.,
    >
    >Be serious. <G> This phrase was invented by do-gooders for the purpose of
    >elevating the academic status of a specific group of people who
    >consistantly score a standard deviation below the rest of the human race
    >on every written test ever devised.
    >
    > >I don't have to "condone suffering", to recognize it as an essential
    >piece of
    > >reality. Without evil, what would be the point of making moral choices?
    >
    > >Indeed, no one would have a choice, and I regard a life without choices
    > >intolerable. Without suffering, what would be meaning of joy? Without
    >
    > >challenge and the possibility of failure, what would be the satisfaction
    >of
    > >achievement? Without death, would life have value?
    >
    >This is basically a religious statement. Suffering is basically the
    >stimulation of a particular set of nerves and joy is the stimulation of a
    >different set. Suffering does not have a moral component unless a human
    >is intentionally doing the stimulating.
    >
    >There isn't any experiment or data which demonstrates the existance of
    >the concept of free will.

    But, surely you contradict yourself by writing the above statement.

    >Life only has value in a religious context. (economically and socially,
    >some humans have more value as compost than as living entities)

    I hope your joking.

    Brian Harper
    Associate Professor
    Mechanical Engineering
    The Ohio State University
    "One never knows, do one?"
    -- Fats Waller



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