Platt,
PLATT:
In making my statements about the fundamental faith in chance
required by the Darwinian view of evolution I assumed, perhaps
generously, that anyone with a high school education was aware of the
"contingency of a patterned environment," i.e., evolution doesn't take
place in a vacuum. The argument between creationists and Darwinists
is usually framed as intelligent design vs. random events."
It seems to me that most people coming out of high school are only
dimly aware of this, considering that evolution is either not taught
or watered down in American public schools. That you think the
debate is framed as intelligent design vs. random events and not
intelligent design vs. natural selection only underscores this problem.
PLATT:
"As mentioned before, I wouldn't expect you in defending Darwinism to
present all the reasons why the intelligent design theory has adherents among
biologists. (For example, two recent books, "Evolution: A Theory in
Crises" and "Darwin's Black Box."). My point in making my "deliberate
misrepresentations" is to counter the prevailing false belief that faith
plays no part in science, similar to Pirsig's counter to the widespread
belief that values are absent from the scientific worldview. I fail to
understand why you find this to be a problem unless I have failed to
make my motive clear which is not to downgrade science, but to bring
attention to its principle, praised by Pirsig, that its presuppositions are
not inviolate. Is it your view that faith in unprovable premises doesn't
intrude on the scientific outlook?"
No, it isn't my view.
PLATT:
"It's probably a cheap shot, but I can't resist pointing out that your
analogy of Darwinian evolution to a casino is somewhat unfortunate in
that a casino is intelligently designed from the ground up. But, I guess
I'm just being annoying again. (-:"
As long as you understood the point of the analogy, I'm satisfied.
Glenn
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