[MD] Science and the MOQ

[Krimel]

DM,

"Choice" may be important in evolution. You can say a tossed coin "chooses"
head or tails or that germs and electrons "choose" this or that state. This
is the intentional stance. But problems occur when by "choose" we mean
volitional choice. There really is a difference and while I am the  first to
acknowledge fuzzy edges, these edges aren't all that fuzzy.

Krimel

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Hi Krim

But selection by choice is very important
in evolution, and we may need to consider
this assumption to find explanatory theses,
for example mates making certain sexual
choices for very showy displays. Could
find that germs or electrons appear to
favour characteristics for such reasons.

I just have suspicions that a simple
animate/inanimate distinction is hard
to locate at a certain level and likely
to be gradual in some way. The
opposite view smells ideological to me.

DM

> [Platt]
> Whether a germ knows there's an independent reality or not is debatable
> since we don't know what it's like to be a germ. That a germ knows that 
> it's better for it to be in one place rather than another can be assumed 
> by its behavior.
> Similarly with an electron.
>
> [Krimel]
> If we don't know what a germ knows maybe we ought to just talk about what 
> it does rather than making ass-u-me-tions about what it knows.
> Similarly with electrons.