5つ星のうち 4.0
Darwin's theory of evolution seduced by continuum, 2007/8/1
レビュー対象商品: The Voyage of the Beagle: Charles Darwin's Journal of Researches (Penguin Classics) (ペーパーバック)
Darwin’ theory begins with individual variability(individual variation).
What does individual variability mean? Not to mention, it means that one individual differs from another one. A group of different individuals makes species or genus. When the individual variability proceeds to a certain degree, the creature produces defective offspring. This creates the difference of species or the wall of species. So we tell about biological diversity.
But there is no continuity between the individual variability and the change of species(evolution). For examble, at which point would our ancestors change to other species, when we go back to our distant ancestors? Our ancestors hold their continuity as species and they do not break.
Nevertheless Darwin connect individulal variability with the variation of species. It is because his definition of species is very vague and the definition of classification is also not clear.
Hegel says in §229 of “Shorter Logic”: “Definition involves the three organic elements of the notion: the universal or proximate genus (genus proximum), the particular or specific character of the genus (qualitas specifica), and the individual, or object defined.”(From the site of MIA)
To put it briefly, when there are more objects than two: the identity(commonness) of the two objects is the universal; the distinction(difference) of them is the particular; the two objects is the individual. In other words, it is the whole-part relationship. Therefore Darwin lacks this distinction, that is, the particular.
Therefore, however significantly the parts may change(and the too major change of parts produces defective offspring), so far as the whole does not change, the transition of species does not occur. The theory of explaining evolution does not exist.
Only the hierarchical structure of living things explains biological diversity.
Without the hierarchical structure, Darwin was not able to flow it and to tell about evolution. The evolution lacking the hierarchical structure is only ‘a change.’ Here there is only one continuum of living things.
He did not find discontinuity in the nature and understand the aspect of distiction in it. There are infinite gaps between part and whole, and between whole and whole.
Finally it hits fundamental limits, or the problem of ‘infinitesimal,’ and this aporia could be solved by ‘0.999~ = 1,’ which would make the theory probabilistic and statistical.
Also, ‘the 0.999~ = 1’ makes the distinction indiscriminating or continuous. Thereby in the continuum there is ‘a middle species,’ so-called ‘the missinglink.’ And infinite middle species.
But, ignoring the hierarchical structure, the fact that Darwin was seduced by the continuum forms a grave crime.
5つ星のうち 5.0
You can't tell me he wasn't having fun., 2005/9/4
レビュー対象商品: The Voyage of the Beagle: Charles Darwin's Journal of Researches (Penguin Classics) (ペーパーバック)
Remember this says "Journal" and that is what it is. It is his first parson adventures on and off the Beagle. He even includes stories about the people on the ship, the ship's life, and maintenance. He is always going ashore and venturing beyond the ship charter to go where no Englishman has gone before. He makes friends with tyrants and the down trodden. Once to get an animal to come to him, he lay on his back and waved his arms and legs in the air. What ever you do, do not turn your back on him. He is always knocking something on the head and taking it back for study. It is fun trying to match the old names for places with the new.
