• Wayfarer
    22.8k
    But, chemistry alone doesn’t account for the emergence of the level of complexity you see in the most simple living things. And I’m not going ID. Have a look at Information Philosopher’s page on Apo’s source, Howard Pattee (paragraph 3).
  • TheMadFool
    13.8k
    chemistry alone doesn’t account for the emergence of the level of complexityWayfarer

    I was trying to offer you a viable model to explain the emergence of DNA, replication mechanism and all.

    DNA bears some similarity to crystals and in fact I remember reading an article that makes that very claim. Also, Rosalind Franklin (1920 - 1958) discovered the DNA helix structure using X-ray crystallography. Perhaps DNA is some kind of complex crystal which forms using a convoluted process we observe as molecular machinery.
  • Wayfarer
    22.8k
    Pattee criticized the symposium attendees for claiming that biology was simply "physics and chemistry" without citing a single law of physics.
  • TheMadFool
    13.8k
    Pattee criticized the symposium attendees for claiming that biology was simply "physics and chemistry" without citing a single law of physics.

    Isn't this like saying that you shouldn't speak English because you're not a grammarian? The laws of grammar are functional and operating in both spoken and written language but we don't need to keep a book on grammar on hand every time we speak/write.
  • Wayfarer
    22.8k
    No, it’s not like saying that. That is a false analogy.
  • TheMadFool
    13.8k
    No, it’s not like saying that. That is a false analogyWayfarer

    Just like the person who insists spoken/written language should make direct references to grammar, Patte is also guilty of demanding the mention of laws of physics in biology. The grammar is manifest in the way words are used and likewise, the laws of physics are too in biology.
  • Harry Hindu
    5.1k
    Pattee criticized the symposium attendees for claiming that biology was simply "physics and chemistry" without citing a single law of physics.
    Different fields of science deal with different levels of reality, like genetics and physiology. One doesn't use the same terms as another because we're talking about different things (genes vs. organisms), but one follows from the other and even supports, rather than contradicts, what the other is explaining.
  • Wayfarer
    22.8k
    Different fields of science deal with different levels of reality,Harry Hindu

    No argument there. The only argument I have is with the science that says there are no levels.
  • Harry Hindu
    5.1k
    No argument there. The only argument I have is with the science that says there are no levels.Wayfarer
    The "levels" are actually different views of the same thing. One view is of the genes, the other is of the organism, but we're still talking about you whether its your genes or your body.
12Next
bold
italic
underline
strike
code
quote
ulist
image
url
mention
reveal
youtube
tweet
Add a Comment

Welcome to The Philosophy Forum!

Get involved in philosophical discussions about knowledge, truth, language, consciousness, science, politics, religion, logic and mathematics, art, history, and lots more. No ads, no clutter, and very little agreement — just fascinating conversations.