Re: "Punctual Equilibrium", or "evolutionary stuff"

["Charles K. MacKay" <ckmackay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks for the report. The Seattle Times reporter got it wrong. It's
"punctuated" equilibrium, not "punctual" equilibrium. As any
paleontologist, economist, or chaos theorist will tell you, equilibrium
is rarely "punctual."

Gould has a ton of books out -- mostly compilations of his monthly
columns from "Natural History" -- all well worth reading on their own
merits. He is also the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "genius"
award.

My own take on his extra-professional thoughts is that his view of
history, derived from his research, makes Marxism about the only broader
philosophy he *** could *** consistently hold, and he would be
unsympathetic only to the teleological,
"the-revolution-must-come-someday" bent in Marx's thought.

Regards,

Charlie



MD575151@xxxxxxx wrote:
>
>
>  This just in.....
>
>       I just thought that I would share this article with all of you.  I read
> this in the Jan. 12 issue of the Seattle Times.
>
>      This article is about the evolutionary theories of Stephen Gould, a
> Harvard peleontologist.
>
>      His thesis: "In 1972 Gould and collegue Miles Ildridge started a
> paleontological revolution by arguing evolution occurs not gradually, but in
> spurts in response to environmental change, a theory called 'punctual
> equilibrium.'"
>
>      This does not have much to do with it, but it is interesting.  "In his
> book 'The Mismeasure of Man,' he showed how 19th-century racial predjudices
> led to the misinterpretation of skull evidence of racial intelligence,
> anticipating today's debate over 'The Bell Curve.'"
>
>      O.K.  Here is is evolutionary contribution.  "The first is that earth is
> indeeed history, not destiny: a story ruled by chance...that, if run over
> again, would probably result in some other species dominating the planet."
>  Stephen argues that evolution is just "dumb luck", not "survival of the
> fittest, implying that humans are the "fittest".
>
>      "The second is that evolution does not risult in progress--that it did
> not march from primitive bacreria to complex, triumphant us."  He also says
> that humans are not the dominant speceis, bacteria has been here for longer
> than any other living organism, and because the only "purpose of life" is to
> survive, bacteria best fit this purpose--survival of the fittest.  On a
> personal note, my dad told me when I was young (younger) that animals have
> claws, teeth, fur etc., but humans have brains, brains and conscienceness are
> our "gift".  Whatever.  It seems to me that an organism lacking
> conscienceness is far better suited for survival than anything that is
> capable of imagining "morals".  Then again, it also seems that an organism
> lacking life, like a rock, is far, far, far, better suited for "survival"
> than anything capable of "reproducing".
>
>      "Gould argues that our own breif tenure on earth is the result of dumb
> luck, not fitness, worth, or Divine Plan."  That's pretty strait forward.
>
>      This also has nothing to do with paleontology, but because this is a
> Marxism list...."Press him on the religious and political implications of
> that or his own beleifes -- is he a Marxist, or an atheist? -- and he tends
> to skate away, argueing that such falls outside of the province of science."
>  The Times reports that Mr. Goulds father was a Marxist, how taboo.
>
>      If any of you have anything to add, please do so.  This is the first
> time that I have ever read of Gould's work, so if anyone has anything to add,
> please do so.  I have always excepted Darwinism and the idea of "survival of
> the fittest" with blind faith, I never had any reason to question it.
>
> Hope you enjoyed my report,
>                                      Mike Dean
>                                      Hs066@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> P.S. This is totaly of the subject, but does the Communist Party, USA, elect
> their chairpeople, or are they "chosen".  I am not trying to discredit the
> party, I would like to somehow help the cause, but want to find out about the
> CP before I commit myself.
>
>      --- from list marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---




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