I guess it is logically coherent that a bean sprout could have values of its own. But what would it mean for a bean sprout to value something?
You might say, its evolutionary teleology is what it values. But it’s only in your human mind that there is such a thing as that teleology, which was an idea your mind created to help it understand the world. By adopting such a non-sentientist view, your brain hasn’t stepped down from its old tyranny, but only replaced one of its notions with a more egalitarian sounding one. This pleases your brain, but the bean sprout had no say.
There’s a big difference between teleology (humans projecting purposiveness onto inanimate matter) and teleonomy (humans recognizing evolutionary adaptations that emerged to embody convergent instrumental goals that promote the final goals of survival and reproduction). The latter is what I’m talking about with this essay. The biological purposes are not just in the mind of the beholder.
There’s a big difference between teleology … and teleonomy
I disagree. Any “purposes” are limited to the mind of a beholder. Otherwise, you’ll be joining the camp of the child who thinks that a teddy bear falls to the ground because it wants to.
I guess it is logically coherent that a bean sprout could have values of its own. But what would it mean for a bean sprout to value something?
You might say, its evolutionary teleology is what it values. But it’s only in your human mind that there is such a thing as that teleology, which was an idea your mind created to help it understand the world. By adopting such a non-sentientist view, your brain hasn’t stepped down from its old tyranny, but only replaced one of its notions with a more egalitarian sounding one. This pleases your brain, but the bean sprout had no say.
There’s a big difference between teleology (humans projecting purposiveness onto inanimate matter) and teleonomy (humans recognizing evolutionary adaptations that emerged to embody convergent instrumental goals that promote the final goals of survival and reproduction). The latter is what I’m talking about with this essay. The biological purposes are not just in the mind of the beholder.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teleonomy
I disagree. Any “purposes” are limited to the mind of a beholder. Otherwise, you’ll be joining the camp of the child who thinks that a teddy bear falls to the ground because it wants to.