[asa] Re: [asa] Re: [asa] Rejoinder 6D From Timaeus – for Iain Strachan, Jon Tandy and Others

Hi John,
 
You wrote: "But you can't deny that as a programmer I have the ability to write a program that modifies its behavior at runtime based on external inupts. We see this everyday."

I doubt that Timaeus is denying it! It is rather your presumption than his perspective.
 
What remains a challenge for your position, John, is that you have an unsophisticated understanding of the similarities and differences between natural sciences, human-social sciences, applied sciences, humanities, etc. Your 'hierarchy of knowledge' or 'map of sciences' is conveniently absent.
 
As a 'programmer' you can and do certainly 'design' things. There is no argument here from Timaeus. What your hang-up is, it is that you fail to bridge the gap between your soul and your physical matter. Is your 'computer code' a spiritual thing or merely a material thing; it was made, I'm sure you'll agree, by an en-souled material human being. Is there then a spiritual dimension to programmed code (even if programmed by atheists)?
 
ID's main problem is that it (like TE/EC) has no solution for how to bridge the gap between human-made and non-human-made things. It is too concerned with the outdated (i.e. 20th century) 'dialogue between science and religion,' which simply must give way to a more holistic understanding of the present and future. Sooner or later, the human-social sciences will be acknowledged for their contribution to knowledge that exists alongside, above and/or beyond the reach of natural science, theology, philosophy, applied science, etc.
 
But ASA does not yet seem ready to enter into such an inclusive conversation. 'Science' to ASA mainly means 'natural science.' Let's not kid ourselves otherwise.
 
Gregory __________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Canada Toolbar: Search from anywhere on the web, and bookmark your favourite sites. Download it now at http://ca.toolbar.yahoo.com.

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Received on Tue Oct 21 07:21:25 2008