[MD] Quick one: causation

[Arlo Bensinger]

[Platt]
Wrong again.

"There is no quarrel whatsoever between the Metaphysics of Quality 
and the Darwinian Theory of Evolution. Neither is there a quarrel 
between the Metaphysics of Quality and the "teleological" theories 
which insist that life has some purpose." (Lila, 11)

[Arlo]
Wrong again.

Precisely because there is no quarrel, it shows that "purpose" is 
just something that has value to YOU (or NO value, as the case may 
be). As I said, if it gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling to think 
Qualigod ordered the cosmos to produce you, and you have some cosmic 
purpose for being here, knock yourself out. But that purpose resides 
entirely in your head. (By the way, do you share Ham's view that your 
cosmic purpose is to stroke the needy ego of the Great Source?)

Unless you can answer where this "purpose" resides? Answer me, where 
was the "purpose" for man 100 billion years ago? Where did the "plan" 
to make man reside? In the mind of your Qualigod? Here is one for 
you, do other things, e.g., call it Species X, have a purpose for 
being here, or is it just man?

Again, there is no purpose other than the one in your head. Should an 
asteroid following inorganic quality smash into the earth, no 
"purpose" will save you. Mankind will be exterminated and DQ will 
trot along without us; blindly and uncaringly, waiting for the next 
"AHA!" moment of chance to latch onto.