[MD] Animals and Dynamic Quality

[craigerb at comcast.net]

[Micah]
> potential and reality are two different things. Potential could happen, reality is happening.

Don't confuse a statement about the future with a statement about potentiality.
1) It is raining in Hawaii
2) It can rain in Hawaii
3) It will rain in Hawaii

1) is a statement about what actually is happening
2) is a statement about what potentially can happen
3) is a statement about what actually will happen

[Micah]
> "It rained on Hawaii before (wo)man existed" 
> How would you know? 

[Craig, previously]
> Given that it is possible (= makes sense) that it rained on Hawaii before (wo)man existed, what reason 
> could we have for this? Possibly a fossil fern leaf (of the kind of fern which we have found only exists
> when & where there is rain.) 

[Micah]
> "If (wo)man had been on Hawaii at the time in question, (s)he would have experienced raining." 
> So, IF it had been raining...and IF s/he were present, rain would be experienced.

This much we agree on.

[Micah]
> "If (wo)man had been on Hawaii at the time in question, (s)he would have experienced raining." 
> So, if it had been raining, WHICH WE CANNOT KNOW SINCE NO ONE WAS THERE TO VERIFY, and if s/he were present, rain would be experienced. 
 
The capitalized phrase has introduced an error, since it is not the case that we can know of the occurence of something only if someone was present at the time of the occurence. 

[Micah]
> The second half requires a definition of time, what is yours? 

I not sure about "the second half requiring a definition of time", but time is what is measured by clocks works for me in most ordinary situations.
Craig