RE: [asa] Darwin only biological evolution? (can anything exist without evolution?)

Pastor Murray- you also said later:
" The question to be asked in respects of the suggestion that Beethoven's Ninth "evolved" is "what accounts for the difference?" If the answer is "intelligent agency" then I think Iain can rest his case - Beethoven's Ninth simply DIDN'T "evolve" through the same sort of processes involved in biological evolution."

I don't see how Ian can "rest his case" because biological evolution doesn't apply to meme evolution, anymore than cosmological evolution applies to biological evolution.

The fallacy for rejecting memes is in thinking that new thoughts violate the idea of meme evolution.

Example: suppose I want to invent a flying car. I could put a car gas engine in it. After trying it, I could learn and then decide to switch to a jet engine. Jet engines are radically different than a car gas engine. Ian seems to think that if the change is small, like going from a small to a large car gas-powered engine, that could be meme evolution but not going from car to jet engine. That's the fallacy.

In this way, what's the difference between Beethoven composing a masterpiece and a 3rd yr piano student writing a new song-- it is only a matter of degree. So what? Ian is impressed by the degree of change. To me, it is like being impressed that a car can go 50 mph, but not impressed that it can go 15 mph.

...Bernie

-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On Behalf Of Murray Hogg
Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 3:17 PM
To: ASA
Subject: Re: [asa] Darwin only biological evolution? (can anything exist without evolution?)

I was responding to David not offering a critique of your remarks, Bernie.

Dehler, Bernie wrote:
> Pastor Murray said:
> " It's frankly critical that we be very clear that ideas do NOT evolve in the same way as bacteria."
>
> I thought I also clearly said that. It makes me wonder if you read what I wrote.

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Received on Wed Jan 14 18:34:27 2009