Re: Theories, models, and simplifications.

From: Perplexed in Peoria (jimmenegay_at_sbcglobal.net)
Date: 01/29/05

  • Next message: Malcolm: "Re: Logic of kin selection" 
    Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 13:59:46 -0500 (EST)

    "John Edser" <edser@tpg.com.au> wrote in message news:ctfbbv$2e9i$1@darwin.ediacara.org...
    >
    >
    > "Perplexed in Peoria" <jimmenegay@sbcglobal.net>
    > > JM
    > > John, I think that I have just experienced what a
    > > psychotherapist would call a "breakthrough". Let me
    > > put my new understanding of your thinking into my own
    > > words ...

    [snip Menegay's wording of Edser's epistemology]

    > > Do I have this basically right, John?
    >
    > JE:-
    > Finally :-)
    >
    > However, you have yet to note that
    > relative fitness is a _default_ comparison
    > of all the latest total fitnesses that exists
    > within one population. The total fitness
    > that is the largest is naturally selected
    > over all the others.

    Ah yes. That old "nested sets of fitness elements" idea.
    Well, sorry John, my "breakthrough" didn't extend that
    far, yet. I still don't understand THAT idea. In fact,
    I don't yet understand most of your biology - including
    the central idea that the heart of Darwinism is given
    by the slogan "Fitness cannot be selected to be reduced".
    In fact, since I now understand that you see fitness as
    a constant, or rather as a collection of constants, I
    am more mystified than ever by your suggestion that Darwin
    *refutably* tells us that this constant cannot be reduced.
    What would it mean to reduce a constant?

    But I AM making progress, on the epistemological front
    anyways. And that is potentially a GOOD THING.

  • Next message: Malcolm: "Re: Logic of kin selection"

    Relevant Pages

    • Re: Theories, models, and simplifications
      ... and I would disagree as to whether it is the ... > best notion of fitness. ... John just doesn't want to grow up. ... > thing about John's idea is his insistence that his way ...
      (sci.bio.evolution)
    • Re: Theories, models, and simplifications.
      ... >> John, rather than endlessly repeating yourself, may I ... have similar epistemological roles: ... to whether it is an inevitable pathology, ... fitness - at least it will be a constant once I have ...
      (sci.bio.evolution)
    • Re: Reviews of Unto Others
      ... John, I have never even seen the rule "rb>K" written down before. ... guessing that the new K is the fitness of an altruistic actor and ... What does it mean to "prove" altruism? ...
      (sci.bio.evolution)
    • Re: Theories, models, and simplifications
      ... and I would disagree as to whether it is the ... >> best notion of fitness. ... None of them can halt natural selection ... John Edser ...
      (sci.bio.evolution)
    • I agree.
      ... until my skills and fitness improve. ... John ... > Superiority comes with the shooter. ...
      (rec.sport.paintball)