*I like teleology. But I try not to mix teleology with my (hobby) science.*
I think its a misconception that teleology and science are mutually exclusive. I think Nagel in Mind and Cosmos, amongst others, makes a convincing argument for this. The neo-Darwinian and Newtonian conception of how we got here and our natures are inaccurate and myopic to an extreme degree. When we actually look at the evidence there very little evidence for "random" process, especially when we contemplate deeply the meaning of non-linear chaos and open system dynamics. This is not to say we're deterministic robots, certainly free will coexists along side it as an equal partner, but nature does tend to have a "arrow of evolution". As flow accelerates (both cosmic and earthbound), nature is always attempting to harmonize those flows into cycles and reach higher and higher levels of cooperation between those flows. That is the deterministic aspect (and arguably the teleological aspect at base level). What happens within those flows, and the interactions between them, is where free will enters the picture. There are no easy answers to these questions however. Regards, John On Fri, Jan 10, 2014 at 8:53 AM, Eric Walker <[email protected]> wrote: > On Fri, Jan 10, 2014 at 12:08 AM, Alain Sepeda <[email protected]>wrote: > > by the way, as a foreign english speaker, could you say what does mean >> "outspoken", as you use it, as Charles Beaudette use in his book... >> > > "Outspoken" has mildly negative connotations. It vaguely suggests that > one is a little bit of a boor about something, or that one has a vendetta. > I don't recall having heard "outspoken" used in a positive context. It > does not imply that a person is wrong about something, though. > > Eric > >
