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know it? how would they then cope with life, being conscious of their own situation i.e. if they know?
My second question is if our own consciousness interferes with natural selection?
e.g. ethics, human rights etc.

what are some of your opinions?

2007-07-10 11:21:31 · 8 answers · asked by Lorenzo de' Medici 1 in Society & Culture Religion & Spirituality

8 answers

You're misusing the theory of evolution.

Evolution speaks of organisms best adapted to the environment, and makes no references to the weak. Social Darwinism, which was practiced by the Nazis and touted by others, is simply a way to enact one's own prejudice.

We have no idea what characteristics (dominant or regressive) are carried in any individual or set of individuals that will or won't allow the species of humans to survive as the earth's environment changes.

This does not refer to just global warming. It could also involve what would happen if we were struck by a comet, if there were a calamitous volcanic eruption, if there were nuclear holocaust, or some other massive global event that changed the capacity of the earth to provide for human needs.

In this instance consciousness will have no impact on natural selection. Instead, it is entirely driven by our genetic make up. If we think that somehow we can predict enough to know when and how the environment will change, the only thing we can do is strive to prevent it or slow it down so much that we adapt without nearly going extinct. And in that instance, we are changing the environment, not ourselves.

^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^

2007-07-10 11:26:20 · answer #1 · answered by NHBaritone 7 · 2 0

The theory of evolution doesn't make judgements, it simply explains events. Evolution has been used to justify eugenics - the belief that there are genetically 'strong' or 'weak' people who should be kept seperate, but this theory is almost universally discredited.

Yes, humans do interfere with natural selection, and humans have pretty much stopped evolving. There are few genetic disorders in animals, but they exist in humans because we care for our sick. But it's not as if the path of evolution is predestined and we're changing it, and our interference is a good thing because it allows people to live.

2007-07-10 18:25:59 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

Natural selection is largely absent from human evolution because we circumvent its effects as far as possible. We protect our weak, we look after our old, we have glasses to correct poor vision, we eat like kings and we shut out the cold. We are still subject to aspects of natural selection but often without regard for "fitness" - it's more to do with luck.

Darwin never spoke of weakness in the sense you do, he spoke of organisms being best adapted - "fittest", as in "fit for purpose". To that extent we are all "weak" in Darwinian terms. And most of us don't know it, no.

2007-07-10 18:26:50 · answer #3 · answered by Bad Liberal 7 · 0 0

Human beings have evolved to such a point that we have escaped the world of natural selection from which we originally came.

Here's a great video that explains it better than I can.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13NPZ5Nv_fc

2007-07-10 18:27:22 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Yes consciousness interfere, for all practical purposes humanity has stopped evolving, therefore i am all for genetic engineering humans.

BTW the weak are the ones who die, it doesn't matter why or how, if you haven't died you aren't weak.

2007-07-10 18:25:39 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0 1

Those who are bad and have power attack good: honest and those who are the best. If good doesn't understand that all they have to do is to update people about those attacks then they are weak. Hatred of bad people gives popularity to god people.
Please, see my question and you'll see how does that work in practice.

2007-07-11 09:06:31 · answer #6 · answered by andy a 1 · 0 0

Did you know, even Darwin said evolution was incorrect and he became a believer before he died. Says a lot for that theory, huh?

2007-07-10 18:28:07 · answer #7 · answered by Rick 5 · 0 6

Christians. That is who.

2007-07-10 18:43:57 · answer #8 · answered by 1saintofGod 6 · 0 1

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