[Vision2020] Eugenie Scott's Talk at U of I

[John D]

>> John: 
>> - Johnson's argument is that evolution and creation 
>> are the only two possible explanations for the 
>> origins of modern lifeforms 
>> - Scott argumentatively addressed this argument by 
>> listing at least one other possible explanation: 
>> self-organization 
>> - The possible explanations for the origins of modern 
>> lifeforms at least include evolution, creation, and 
>> self-organization 
>> - Johnson is guilty of a false alternative 
 
> Me: 
> Johnson argues FOR this alternative. I'd assume 
> Johnson would have addressed other proposed 
> possibilities in his argument, at least implicitly. 
> What else would he have been arguing about? Whatever 
> Johnson's arguments are, we know that Scott did not 
> deal with them; she merely cried "false alternative" 
> and listed other logical possibilities (which I 
> believe included ancient Hindu metaphysics, and > all-is-one). 
 
Your willingness to blindly accept the authority of Johnson is remarkable, and a little scary. 
 
>> Do you agree Lamarckism vs. creation would be a 
>> false dichotomy in 1809? If so, does it not follow 
>> that evolution vs. creation is a false dichotomy in 
>> 2005? 
 
> As for your last question, I don't know the history 
> that well. However, if Lamarkianism was the only 
> plausible scientific hypothesis and/or relevantly 
> interesting hypothesis for western culture at the 
> time, then there would be no false alternative 
> fallacy behind the intuitive impulse of limiting the 
> debate to Lamarkianism and Creationism. 
 
So, by that logic, Darwin actually proved creationism by publishing The Origin of Species, because it disproved Lamarckism. Agreed? 

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