I need to get over my three-alarm headache before I can write you a proper response, but let me offer an outline here. I agree that observation of the facts which would lead one to think that organisms evolved predate Darwin, which is why his theory is more properly called "the theory of descent with modification by means of natural (and sexual) selection." I am not so sure that the natural selection part of the theory is unfalsifiable (or almost so). I will have to think about that. The notion of "survival of the fittest" to which you refer does contain some amount of tautology; however, I'm not certain that Darwin has to take much of the credit or the blame for "survival of the fittest" -- I think it's someone else's term. In any case, natural selection should not imply any exterior standard of fitness (or for that matter that nature has any standards of discernment at all).
I do not worship science. I worship LJ comments and those who leave them.
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Re: Why I will never have one of those Darwin fish on my car
Date: 2003-10-27 10:11 pm (UTC)I do not worship science. I worship LJ comments and those who leave them.