Re: [OPE-L] Marx and philosophy

[GERALD LEVY <gerald_a_levy@xxxxxxx>]

> It is true that some modern darwinists like Gould emphasise chance and
> contingency, but it is not clear that this was appreciated in the 19th c
> and many current darwinists are critical of Goulds position ( cf Dennet)


Hi Paul C:

I think Darwin himself understood this well.  Indeed, it was his voyaging
at sea with FitzRoy with stops at the Galapogos, Patagonia, Tahiti, etc.
that led him directly towards further scientific studies which ultimately
were presented in _The Origin of Species_.   How could he not marvel at
the variation of species in the Galapagos and not ponder about the special
contingent circumstances on those islands that led to that variation?

A belief inevitability was certainly a concept which was widely believed in
by
philosphers of his time (no doubt, influenced by their religious
conceptions),
but Darwin (like Marx) had a very weak acceptance of that ahistorical ,
simplistic, and mechanical concept, imho.  But, I am by no means an
authority on the life and thought of Darwin ....

In solidarity, Jerry