[MD] -elitist ideas

[Case]

[Platt]
"What the organism learns about its environment can be expressed in the
simple phrase, 'It's better here' or 'It's not so good here.' " Konrad
Lorenz, zoologist and Noble Prize winner -- obviously someone of "low powers
of discernment."

Yeah, right.
  
[Case]
Where is this quote pulled from? Lorenz did write several popular works
including one called "Man Meets Dog". He may have been dumbing down to his
audience. Because yes it is "like" that just are one could say, "you know if
I were an amoeba and you dropped some vinegar near me I would try to move
away." Anthropomorphism as metaphor is one thing, building it into your
metaphysics is something else. 

Lorenz is a strange choice for you, Platt. It is interesting that you are a
fan of his. He was a member of the Nazi party, was appointed to a university
chair under the Nazis. In 1938 wrote, "I'm able to say that my whole
scientific work is devoted to the ideas of the National Socialists." He
later recanted this position at the Nobel Prize ceremony in 1973 of course,
but in later years he was a big supporter of the Austrian Green Party. 

Lorenz was one of the founders of the field of ethology which aims to place
the activities of individuals and groups into the broader contexts of their
environments. He is noted for his efforts to should the purely genetic basis
for certain specific behaviors for example he demonstrated the phenomenon of
imprinting in baby geese.

Nazi tree huggers are indeed a rare breed. Thanks for making my point yet
again.