Post by jekkjekktarr on Mar 24, 2016 8:42:35 GMT
Christian Cerda
PHIL 5-15 (40846)
1. Why do you think a large number of people resist the theory of evolution by natural selection? What is it about Darwin's theory that makes you feel comfortable or uncomfortable? Be sure to elaborate on your reaction (pro or con).
As someone who doesn’t fully buy into the theory of evolution, I can say why I personally don’t follow that train of thought. I haven’t actually looked into any studies on evolution in any meaningful way mainly just because it’s not something that I really care about. I find science to be interesting but I just can’t hold my attention towards any actual science topics for long without becoming bored. And I don’t mean that like I find it pointless, I just mean that I’m not able to focus on it very much relative to other things I’d prefer to spend my time on or that are more important to me. The only things I know about the topic of evolution are whatever surface level attempts my teacher in school ten years ago had made at explaining it. If I remember correctly, we were given examples of variations in species of birds based on their locations and environments. What we were told was that they evolved based on their environments and that’s how all living things came to be the way they are, beginning from a single living entity. Now I believe that living things adapt to their environments but I don’t believe that they all derived from the same source and branched out to what exists now. But like I wrote before, it’s not because I hold this belief of mine to be absolute, it’s just not something I think about very much. I’ve also found that a lot of the people who pose arguments against evolution are put down by followers of science as being less intelligent or blinded by their own belief systems. My open-mindedness on the topic has almost never been reciprocated by anyone who was in opposition to what I believe. Most discussions result in me being called stupid for not instantly accepting what I was told, even if it was barely explained at all. Being told that what I believe in is a fairy tale is really not a good way to convince anyone that their beliefs are wrong, and the other person is right. I think that’s what it ultimately boils down to for me. Many science teachers I’ve had have been very open to accepting the beliefs of others, but when it comes to people in public domains like the internet or on the street, they tend to be much more abrasive, intolerant, and have a sense of being so sure that they hold absolute fact in what they say, that they can’t be bothered to accept anyone else’s thoughts on the topic. Some would say that’s true both ways, which I’m sure is the case in certain circles, but in my personal position it isn’t.
2. What do you think cannot be explained by evolution?
I think that the way people interact socially and the way they behave cannot be fully explained by evolution. How do we all become so independent from each other or choose to act the way each of us do? I don’t know if humanity has gotten better or worse as a species, but if we are evolving over time, does that mean we’re getting better? I don’t think things in general today are as bad as they used to be, but humans have certainly become more capable of causing mass destruction in various ways. If we have become more than what we were, why do people still hold, exhibit, or suppress their violent and immoral tendencies? To put it simply, why can’t we get along? Maybe we’ve just “evolved” into more violent people because of advances in technology, but what is it about ourselves that makes us feel so eager to engage offensively with others?
3. Provide three examples of eliminative materialism and how it works. You can draw from your own life.
Eliminative materialism appears to be the belief that how we think isn’t how our minds actually work, but are rather ways we choose to reason with things by putting them into categories that are convenient to us and easier to understand. An example of eliminative materialism that I’ve encountered is feeling affection for someone. In my mind I have a feeling that I would describe as love, even though I know that it’s just a chemical reaction happening because we are creatures that want to fulfill certain things in life like other creatures. Anger and other emotions would also fall into that description, like how we get defensive when we feel threatened or are more careful when we’re scared. These are things we classify as emotions when they’re really our bodies trying to make sure we don’t get injured or die.
PHIL 5-15 (40846)
1. Why do you think a large number of people resist the theory of evolution by natural selection? What is it about Darwin's theory that makes you feel comfortable or uncomfortable? Be sure to elaborate on your reaction (pro or con).
As someone who doesn’t fully buy into the theory of evolution, I can say why I personally don’t follow that train of thought. I haven’t actually looked into any studies on evolution in any meaningful way mainly just because it’s not something that I really care about. I find science to be interesting but I just can’t hold my attention towards any actual science topics for long without becoming bored. And I don’t mean that like I find it pointless, I just mean that I’m not able to focus on it very much relative to other things I’d prefer to spend my time on or that are more important to me. The only things I know about the topic of evolution are whatever surface level attempts my teacher in school ten years ago had made at explaining it. If I remember correctly, we were given examples of variations in species of birds based on their locations and environments. What we were told was that they evolved based on their environments and that’s how all living things came to be the way they are, beginning from a single living entity. Now I believe that living things adapt to their environments but I don’t believe that they all derived from the same source and branched out to what exists now. But like I wrote before, it’s not because I hold this belief of mine to be absolute, it’s just not something I think about very much. I’ve also found that a lot of the people who pose arguments against evolution are put down by followers of science as being less intelligent or blinded by their own belief systems. My open-mindedness on the topic has almost never been reciprocated by anyone who was in opposition to what I believe. Most discussions result in me being called stupid for not instantly accepting what I was told, even if it was barely explained at all. Being told that what I believe in is a fairy tale is really not a good way to convince anyone that their beliefs are wrong, and the other person is right. I think that’s what it ultimately boils down to for me. Many science teachers I’ve had have been very open to accepting the beliefs of others, but when it comes to people in public domains like the internet or on the street, they tend to be much more abrasive, intolerant, and have a sense of being so sure that they hold absolute fact in what they say, that they can’t be bothered to accept anyone else’s thoughts on the topic. Some would say that’s true both ways, which I’m sure is the case in certain circles, but in my personal position it isn’t.
2. What do you think cannot be explained by evolution?
I think that the way people interact socially and the way they behave cannot be fully explained by evolution. How do we all become so independent from each other or choose to act the way each of us do? I don’t know if humanity has gotten better or worse as a species, but if we are evolving over time, does that mean we’re getting better? I don’t think things in general today are as bad as they used to be, but humans have certainly become more capable of causing mass destruction in various ways. If we have become more than what we were, why do people still hold, exhibit, or suppress their violent and immoral tendencies? To put it simply, why can’t we get along? Maybe we’ve just “evolved” into more violent people because of advances in technology, but what is it about ourselves that makes us feel so eager to engage offensively with others?
3. Provide three examples of eliminative materialism and how it works. You can draw from your own life.
Eliminative materialism appears to be the belief that how we think isn’t how our minds actually work, but are rather ways we choose to reason with things by putting them into categories that are convenient to us and easier to understand. An example of eliminative materialism that I’ve encountered is feeling affection for someone. In my mind I have a feeling that I would describe as love, even though I know that it’s just a chemical reaction happening because we are creatures that want to fulfill certain things in life like other creatures. Anger and other emotions would also fall into that description, like how we get defensive when we feel threatened or are more careful when we’re scared. These are things we classify as emotions when they’re really our bodies trying to make sure we don’t get injured or die.