Odds and Ends

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Odds and Ends
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1. Are Humans Still Evolving?
--an odd question, because it presupposes that
evolving is something that goes on inside a
species.
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1. Are Humans Still Evolving?
Are variations still occurring? Yes.
Are selective pressures at work? Probably, but
maybe not.
What will humans be like, 100,000 year from now?
Who knows?
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2. The Second Law of Thermodynamics
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2. The Second Law of Thermodynamics
200 100
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2. The Second Law of Thermodynamics
200 100
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2. The Second Law of Thermodynamics
200 100
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2. The Second Law of Thermodynamics
150
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2. The Second Law of Thermodynamics
150
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2. The Second Law of Thermodynamics
Warmth Disperses and Time Passes The History of
Heat, by Hans Christian Von Baeyer
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3. What did Darwin himself believe about the
relation between evolution and religion?
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Religious belief cannot be proved or disproved by
arguments.
But the advancement of science undermines
religious belief.
Intelligent design and natural selection are
rival hypotheses.
Now that natural selection is available, the
hypothesis of intelligent design is no longer
needed.
Thus, the discovery of evolution by natural
selection weakens theism, by taking away one of
the main reasons for believing in it.
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Darwin on Man and the Other Animals
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Human Dignity Human life and interests are
morally important the lives and interests of
other animals are not.
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Are humans the only rational animals?
There is no fundamental difference between man
and the higher mammals in their mental faculties.
Renggers monkeys Darwins worms
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Three Morals
1. Intelligence is not all-or-nothing.
2. The presence or absence of intelligence is an
empirical matter.
3. No double standard for humans and nonhumans.
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Are humans the only moral animals?
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Are humans the only moral animals? The
basis of ethics the social instincts
Capt. Stansburys blind pelican Brehms
baboons
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Wild Minds by Marc D. Hauser
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Modern support for Darwins view
Northwestern University Medical School, 1964
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Human Dignity Human life and interests are
morally important the lives and interests of
other animals are not.
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Human Dignity Human life and interests are
morally important the lives and interests of
other animals are not.