[MD] MOQ and the Future: An Inquiry into Usefulness

[craigerb at comcast.net]

[Platt] 
> Why does a "successful gene set" work to insure survival? The word 
> "successful" implies that survival is better than the alternative. 

No.   "Successful" in this context merely means a gene set that succeeds 
in allowing the organism to survive until it is able to reproduce 
(that same gene set). 

[Platt] 
> Why wasn't nature content to remain at the inorganic level? You 
> describe HOW evolution works. My question (and Pirsig's) is, "WHY?" 





If you're looking for ultimate explanations, as Pirsig notes, 
you'll be disappointed.  Explanation comes to an end, limited by our 
knowledge.  Explanations only improve when our knowledge does. 
Take a simple case: why are positive & negative charges attracted to 
each other?  We use this fact to explain the behavior of particles, but 
at this time we cannot explain this fact itself.  And if we ever do, that will 
just raise the question of what in turn explains that explanation. 
Craig