Darwin-L Message Log 1:58 (September 1993)

Academic Discussion on the History and Theory of the Historical Sciences

This is one message from the Archives of Darwin-L (1993–1997), a professional discussion group on the history and theory of the historical sciences.

Note: Additional publications on evolution and the historical sciences by the Darwin-L list owner are available on SSRN.

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<1:58>From msimon7@ua1ix.ua.edu  Tue Sep  7 13:22:41 1993

Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1993 13:26:56 -0600 (CDT)
From: Morris Simon <msimon7@ua1ix.ua.edu>
Subject: re: Tom Clark's statement on ordered change
To: darwin-l@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu

On Tue, 7 Sep 1993, David Polly wrote:

> Why does ordered change imply some predestined end?

An excellent, pointed question. The 'order' imposed upon most evolutionary
processes is millions of years out of context, based upon scant, perhaps
even rudimentary contextual evidence. Implications of predestinations,
'ends' or 'purposes' are culture-bound products of that imposition of
order. Orthogenetic proposals almost always involve predestined ends, and
have little utility in establishing contextual explanations of selective
processes.

Morris Simon <msimon7@ua1ix.ua.edu>
Stillman College

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