Re: [asa] Altruism and ID

From the obviously scientistic linked article "Activation of Brain Region Predicts Altruism":
   
  "C. Jill Stowe, a decision scientist in Duke's Fuqua School of Business, also participated in the research."
   
  What is a 'decision scientist'?! Is this 'rational choice' theory run astray into Business School?
   
  g.a.
  

PvM <pvm.pandas@gmail.com> wrote:
  Compare http://www.evolutionnews.org/2007/06/waiter_my_steak_isnt_altruisti.html#more

Altruism, in contrast, has no matter or energy. It has no
'location', no weight, no dimension, no temperature. It has no
properties of matter. Altruism entails things like purpose and
judgment, which aren't material. Altruism has no parts, in the sense
that there is a 'left-side' of altruism and a 'right side' of
altruism. There are, of course, left sided and right sided parts of
the brain, which may be associated with acts of altruism, but there is
no 'left' or 'right' to altruism itself. Of course, objects (like
human brains or bodies) that have location, weight, etc. can mediate
or carry out altruistic acts, but the altruism itself doesn't have a
location. Altruism isn't spatial. 'My altruism is three inches from
the edge of the table' is a nonsensical statement.

There is no shared property yet identified by science through which
brain matter can cause mental acts like altruism. Material substances
have mass and energy. Ideas have purpose and judgment. There is no
commonality. The association between brain function and ideas is
fascinating, and the association of ideas with regions of the brain is
a proper object of scientific study. But where there is no commonality
of properties, association cannot be causation. Ideas must be caused
by substances that have properties common to ideas- such as purpose
and judgment.

with http://www.healthnews-stat.com/?id=382&keys=altruistic-behavior-brain-altruism

"Activation of brain region predicts whether people will be
selfish or altruistic. Research determines that altruistic behaviors
are predictable."

And wonder why people come to realize how scientifically vacuous ID really is.

This argument of information has no mass or dimensions or altruism has no mass and energy shows how infantile the ID arguments have become.
       
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Received on Tue, 5 Jun 2007 09:12:23 -0400 (EDT)