On Wed, 19 Mar 1997 17:20:02 -0400, Pim van Meurs wrote:
These are quotes from one of my posts. It would help if you would
indicate that. I filter my mail on "Stephen", "Jones" "SJ", and
since your message contained neither, I did not see your post at
first. Some of your messages do contain "Steve" but there
are a number of "Steve's" on this Reflector, so I don't
filter on that. Therefore I have answered your points in someone
else's response to what you said.
SJ>"Being a scientist is not necessarily an advantage when dealing
>with a very broad topic like evolution, which cuts across many
>scientific disciplines and also involves issues of philosophy.
>Practicing scientists are of necessity highly specialized, and a
>scientist outside his field of expertise is just another layman"
>(Johnson P.E., "Darwin on Trial", 1993, pp13-14)
PM>Is Johnson not a lawyer? I wonder how this influences his above
>view?
Calling Johnson a "lawyer" is like calling Charles Darwin a
theologian (Darwin's only academic qualification was in theology).
Johnson is a senior Professor of Law at Berkeley University and his
specialty is analysing the logic of arguments:
"Before undertaking this task I should say something about my
qualifications and purpose. I am not a scientist but an academic
lawyer by profession, with a specialty in analyzing the logic of
arguments and identifying the assumptions that lie behind those
arguments" (Johnson P.E., "Darwin on Trial", 1993, pp13-14).
I would have thought that "a specialty in analyzing the logic of
arguments and identifying the assumptions that lie behind those
arguments" is a *very* relevant qualification in assessing the
evidence and arguments for Darwinism.
[...]
Regards.
Steve
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