=> 5/31/01 10:12:20 AM EDT, K.Hodges at ftel.co.uk =>
<< "If we hold the theory of evolution to be true, which it is likely to be 
given the philosphical viewpoint or axiom that assumes there is no outside 
agent then it is likely that the process of evolution evolved the animals, 
both their bodies and their habits ..." >>

It is suggested by other contributions that this sentence may be difficult to 
parse for sixth graders. I would suggest it's not too easy for adults, 
either. Nonetheless, to jump in the pool with all you philosophical sharks 
here for a minute, let's give it a try.

Rephrasing ==>

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1. The assumption that there is no outside agent implies that the theory of 
evolution is true.

2. If we hold the theory of evolution to be true then it is likely that the 
process of evolution evolved the animals, both their bodies and their habits 
...

3. (I guess) ... thus the assumption that there is not outside agent implies 
the likelihood that the process of ... etc.

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Does this work? If so, I have two (actually three) naive questions about this 
outlook:

Question 0: First an aside on the assumption: Why? For example, is there not 
the possibility of such a "thing" as an ‘inside’ agent (genetic, 
vibrational, etc.). Can we not conceive of other mechanisms?

Question 1: Nonetheless, to examine the truth of the sentence itself, let us 
take the contrapositive: If the theory of evolution is false, then there is 
an outside agent. Is this a true sentence?

Question 2: Is this the only description (ToE) which fit this process? Not 
that the ToE does not have a certain elegance of simplicity. But nothing of 
its rightness suggests exhaustiveness or exclusivity in its description of 
the "evolutionary" process. Is that not so?

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None of this appears tautological to me. I have read philosophy for 45 of my 
60 years. I graduated from sixth grade in 1952. Maybe I would have understood 
it better then. :-)

I can tell it's Friday afternoon,
Jerry.

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Jerry L. Archibald
systemObjectivesIncorporated
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