dan@pyramid.UUCP (Danial Carl Sobotta) (04/21/86)
>If survival is the goal of evolution, >then why have so many species failed to survive? > >If existence is the goal, >then why are there so many species that no longer exist? > >It turns out that these are not brain-teasers. Since neither survival >nor existence are goals of evolution, the questions are moot. An entity >must have understanding to have goals. Evolution has no understanding, >and hence is a goal-less process. Perhaps the use of the term 'goals' is inappropriate for evolution. Indeed, you are correct in saying that it is not an intelligent, goal-seeking process. HOWEVER, survival is still the 'goal' of evolution, in that only organisms that survive long enough to reproduce (and care for their young) can pass on their genes. It is really no more of a 'goal' than water seeking the lowest point. As far as so many species being extinct, this opens a whole can of worms. But note that the fact that this occurs does not contradict the 'goal' of survival. -- there's nothing more dangerous than an incoherent cache! DISCLAIMER: I was forced to do it, honest! (hurt me, beat me, make me write bad czechs!!) sun!pyramid!dan