Re: Social Evolution

It is Francisco Ayala's position that our brains (not our thoughts per se)
are products of natural selection, but that many (most?) of the higher level
things that we do are not subject to natural selection. That is, culture,
morality, religion, philosophy, mathematics, dare I say evolutionary biology
or creationism for that matter, are not subject to selection pressures.
They are by products of the brain, which was produced by selection.

George's "Lamarckian" term was clearly chosen rather loosely, about as
loosely as my own words in the paragraph about were chosen, but it's
definitely closer to the mark than "Darwinian," when it comes to these types
of things. Acquired characteristics, as it were, are definitely inherited,
if we keep to the metaphor.

ted
Received on Wed Jan 25 09:20:16 2006