Posted by alexandra_k on September 1, 2005, at 16:17:36
In reply to Re: teleological semantics? » zeugma, posted by alexandra_k on September 1, 2005, at 16:10:56
The heart does a number of things. To list just a couple
1) It pumps blood
2) It takes up space in the chest cavity
3) It goes 'thumpety thump'So of these three things that the heart does, which (if any) is the proper function of the heart? What is it SUPPOSED to do?
So people go back and consider how hearts evolved. They consider that 1) is the proper function because those organisms that had hearts that pumped blood did better than those organisms whose hearts did not.
Somebody might have a heart that made a 'thumpety thump' noise, but this wouldn't help them terribly unless it also pumped blood etc.
So people look to selection history to fix proper function here too.
But...
Same saga.
You need to bring counter-factuals into it...
And I don't see how they are supposed to help fix ACTUAL content or ACTUAL proper function..Oh well.
poster:alexandra_k
thread:541758
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/write/20050807/msgs/549706.html