Re: [asa] Re: Cosmological vs. Biological Design

Any historians out there have an idea as to the extent to which Plato's
concept of physical objects as approximations of a fixed ideal might have
influenced the antievolutionary concept of fixed kinds of organisms? If one
assumes static ideals, then evolutionary change suggests that an organism is
less than ideal and needs to fix something, which raises questions about why
it wasn't made right to start with. However, recognition that the
environment is not static helps show that a static ideal is not what
organisms need to survive over the long term (among other problems with the
idea). Conversely, the fact that static ideals don't work well for physical
aspects of organisms says nothing about whether or not there might be fixed
ideals in other areas, e.g. morality.

-- 
Dr. David Campbell
425 Scientific Collections
University of Alabama
"I think of my happy condition, surrounded by acres of clams"
To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
"unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.