THE |
|
a cache of usenet and other text files pertaining
to occult, mystical, and spiritual subjects. |
To: talk.origins,sci.anthropology,sci.skeptic,talk.philosophy.misc From: gazissax@best.com (Joel and Lynn Gazis-Sax) Subject: Re: Evolution, Sociobio, Memes, Religion Date: Tue, 08 Apr 97 23:00:57 GMT What can you say after reading John Wilkins and Van Piercy? Let's take a one-question quiz: You look at a human eye and note its detailed pattern. As an objective person you can conclude (choose one): a.) That there is a God because only an intelligence could have created such an instrument. b.) That the universe is intrisically meaningful c.) That a conscious, sentient being is viewing the phenomenon. Christians would choose A, of course. Piercy and Wilkins choose B. The thing the first two answers have in common is that they are not based on true objectivism, but upon the projected belief that there is something more implied by the phenomenon than what you personally witness. We can call this Faith. The systems of meaning which Wilkins and Piercy invoke to defend sociobiology are no more the universe than the AAA map in my glove compartment is the state of California. They are useful for navigating, but they are not the universe itself. And as such, due to their inherent limitations, they lead us to error. Here's a thought to ponder: those who choose to see the universe as intrisically meaningful seek justification for the way things are. Those who see it as NOT intrisically meaningful are prepared to reevaluate all justications, to test, to probe, to change their minds about what they see. The first, again, is Faith. The second is Science. But enough is enough. Piercy and Wilkins will undoubtably continue to spin their wheels. I don't need to read any more. They're just repeating themselves, recursively.... Regards, Joel GAzis-SAx
The Arcane Archive is copyright by the authors cited.
Send comments to the Arcane Archivist: tyaginator@arcane-archive.org. |
Did you like what you read here? Find it useful?
Then please click on the Paypal Secure Server logo and make a small donation to the site maintainer for the creation and upkeep of this site. |
The ARCANE ARCHIVE is a large domain,
organized into a number of sub-directories, each dealing with a different branch of religion, mysticism, occultism, or esoteric knowledge. Here are the major ARCANE ARCHIVE directories you can visit: |
|
interdisciplinary:
geometry, natural proportion, ratio, archaeoastronomy
mysticism: enlightenment, self-realization, trance, meditation, consciousness occultism: divination, hermeticism, amulets, sigils, magick, witchcraft, spells religion: buddhism, christianity, hinduism, islam, judaism, taoism, wicca, voodoo societies and fraternal orders: freemasonry, golden dawn, rosicrucians, etc. |
SEARCH THE ARCANE ARCHIVE
There are thousands of web pages at the ARCANE ARCHIVE. You can use ATOMZ.COM
to search for a single word (like witchcraft, hoodoo, pagan, or magic) or an
exact phrase (like Kwan Yin, golden ratio, or book of shadows):
OTHER ESOTERIC AND OCCULT SITES OF INTEREST
Southern
Spirits: 19th and 20th century accounts of hoodoo,
including slave narratives & interviews
|