Comments on: Why, ‘Why Us?’? http://www.jameslefanu.com/archives/502 ‘For every problem there is a solution: neat, plausible and wrong’. H. L. Mencken Sun, 18 Jul 2010 21:17:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: graham veale http://www.jameslefanu.com/archives/502/comment-page-1#comment-14 graham veale Mon, 17 May 2010 14:47:32 +0000 http://www.jameslefanu.com/?p=502#comment-14 Dr Le Fanu Can I immediately suggest that it is a little dishonest to suggest that Gilbert Ryle settled the case against dualism! We can drop names all day, but until someone actually advances an argument we can't have any dialogue. It would be nice to know what kbrooks objection to your book actually was! In the meantime I have a question. In "What a piece of work is the human body" you write "The human body in its prime is a masterpiece of elegant design where even its apparently insignificant features prove to be indispensable...These faults aside, it is very difficult to see how the body could be improved on – as indeed a group of experts concluded." Contrast this with a statement by John C. Avise, in apaper published by "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA" "many complex biological traits are gratuitously complicated, function poorly, and debilitate their bearers. Furthermore, such dysfunctional traits abound not only in the phenotypes but inside the genomes of eukaryotic species." "Nature" editor wrote a comment piece on Avise's article entitled "What a Shoody Piece of Work is Man". So which is it? Is the human body beautifully designed and perfectly suited for it's environment? Or has it been "cobbled together" by a blind engineer? And how is it the case that human scientists can give such radically different assessments of the Human body? Graham Veale Armagh Dr Le Fanu

Can I immediately suggest that it is a little dishonest to suggest that Gilbert Ryle settled the case against dualism! We can drop names all day, but until someone actually advances an argument we can’t have any dialogue. It would be nice to know what kbrooks objection to your book actually was!

In the meantime I have a question. In “What a piece of work is the human body” you write

“The human body in its prime is a masterpiece of elegant design where even its apparently insignificant features prove to be indispensable…These faults aside, it is very difficult to see how the body could be improved on – as indeed a group of experts concluded.”

Contrast this with a statement by John C. Avise, in apaper published by “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA”

“many complex biological traits are gratuitously complicated, function poorly, and debilitate their bearers. Furthermore, such dysfunctional traits abound not only in the phenotypes but inside the genomes of eukaryotic species.”

“Nature” editor wrote a comment piece on Avise’s article entitled “What a Shoody Piece of Work is Man”.

So which is it? Is the human body beautifully designed and perfectly suited for it’s environment?
Or has it been “cobbled together” by a blind engineer?
And how is it the case that human scientists can give such radically different assessments of the Human body?

Graham Veale
Armagh

]]> By: clejon http://www.jameslefanu.com/archives/502/comment-page-1#comment-12 clejon Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:12:14 +0000 http://www.jameslefanu.com/?p=502#comment-12 I have read so, so many books. But I have never read one so "wonderful." It speaks to me in so many ways. I often peer out my window at work, 35th floor, and just stand in awe at what humans team-working created for our use. My wife came from one of the poorest parts of the Philippines at the age of 21, first time she had a bed to sleep on instead of a mat on the ground, and is now an accountant. The two children she brought into this world, now 23 and 24,one in the last year of Pharmacy School, the other finishing a political science degree with law school to follow, are absolutely going too far exceed all the dreams my wife and I had for them. Take that Darwin. Because of your book, I am finally opening my eyes to the wonder and blessings this remarkable brain is giving me. I am so sorry for holding back all its potential because of my pre-occupation with self. I now want to make it a goal to stand where the Cro-Magnon Man stood - and just pay my respects. I have seen the Sistine Chapel. But although currently that has been the ultimate experience of my life, spending a moment in that cave will surpass even that. And to think mankind in its infinite wisdom has found abortion to be so commonplace - Eugenics to its ultimate - the joy of life stolen from millions of the most innocent. To think that those precious lives will never have the chance to become President, Prime Minister or that one scientist who quite literally comes up with the idea that will save mankind from extinction - or simply the joy of being alive. I recommended your book to at least 7 people before I finished it. I am going to give it as a Christmas gift to many. I see no end to my recommendations. I would like to teach a class on this book. I would like you to create a children’s' book that targets 5th and 6th graders with the same wondrous message about their remarkable brain; it should be mandatory reading in high school - to hell with "The Death of a Salesman." It should be mandatory reading to newlyweds before they are permitted to marry. And those contemplating abortion. I could go on. Thank you, James, for your hard work in writing this awesome book. My life is changing right before my own "eyes" and my mind is pleased to hear it. I owe that to you. I have read so, so many books. But I have never read one so “wonderful.” It speaks to me in so many ways. I often peer out my window at work, 35th floor, and just stand in awe at what humans team-working created for our use. My wife came from one of the poorest parts of the Philippines at the age of 21, first time she had a bed to sleep on instead of a mat on the ground, and is now an accountant. The two children she brought into this world, now 23 and 24,one in the last year of Pharmacy School, the other finishing a political science degree with law school to follow, are absolutely going too far exceed all the dreams my wife and I had for them. Take that Darwin. Because of your book, I am finally opening my eyes to the wonder and blessings this remarkable brain is giving me. I am so sorry for holding back all its potential because of my pre-occupation with self. I now want to make it a goal to stand where the Cro-Magnon Man stood – and just pay my respects. I have seen the Sistine Chapel. But although currently that has been the ultimate experience of my life, spending a moment in that cave will surpass even that. And to think mankind in its infinite wisdom has found abortion to be so commonplace – Eugenics to its ultimate – the joy of life stolen from millions of the most innocent. To think that those precious lives will never have the chance to become President, Prime Minister or that one scientist who quite literally comes up with the idea that will save mankind from extinction – or simply the joy of being alive. I recommended your book to at least 7 people before I finished it. I am going to give it as a Christmas gift to many. I see no end to my recommendations. I would like to teach a class on this book. I would like you to create a children’s’ book that targets 5th and 6th graders with the same wondrous message about their remarkable brain; it should be mandatory reading in high school – to hell with “The Death of a Salesman.” It should be mandatory reading to newlyweds before they are permitted to marry. And those contemplating abortion. I could go on. Thank you, James, for your hard work in writing this awesome book. My life is changing right before my own “eyes” and my mind is pleased to hear it. I owe that to you.

]]> By: kbrooks http://www.jameslefanu.com/archives/502/comment-page-1#comment-10 kbrooks Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:42:30 +0000 http://www.jameslefanu.com/?p=502#comment-10 The reference Notes at the end of 'Why Us?' suggest a more sophisticated analysis than the philosophically and scientifically naive text, which is mired in dualism as if it were the only alternative to a (poorly-defined) materialism. Dr Le Fanu might like to read Gilbert Ryle's classic book on dualism ('The Ghost in the Machine' - Penguin, 1949) and then a neuroscientifically-informed philosopher like Teed Rockwell who rejects both Cartesian materialism and dualism ('Neither Brain nor Ghost: a nondualist alternative to mind-brain identity theory' - MIT Press, 2005). Here are 2 reviews and 1 thread which address the evolution and genetics issues: http://www.bookforum.com/inprint/016_01/3542 http://thesecondpass.com/?p=683 http://www.eyeondna.com/2007/06/11/dr-james-le-fanu-rolls-his-eyes-at-genes/ The reference Notes at the end of ‘Why Us?’ suggest a more sophisticated analysis than the philosophically and scientifically naive text, which is mired in dualism as if it were the only alternative to a (poorly-defined) materialism.

Dr Le Fanu might like to read Gilbert Ryle’s classic book on dualism (‘The Ghost in the Machine’ – Penguin, 1949) and then a neuroscientifically-informed philosopher like Teed Rockwell who rejects both Cartesian materialism and dualism (‘Neither Brain nor Ghost: a nondualist alternative to mind-brain identity theory’ – MIT Press, 2005).

Here are 2 reviews and 1 thread which address the evolution and genetics issues:

http://www.bookforum.com/inprint/016_01/3542

http://thesecondpass.com/?p=683

http://www.eyeondna.com/2007/06/11/dr-james-le-fanu-rolls-his-eyes-at-genes/

]]> By: snowfiretiger http://www.jameslefanu.com/archives/502/comment-page-1#comment-9 snowfiretiger Mon, 25 May 2009 14:36:17 +0000 http://www.jameslefanu.com/?p=502#comment-9 Dear James Le Fanu, I wish I had read this before writing that second response. Your interest in and love of truth has afforded you the distinction (alone, or almost alone, among scientists whose works I have read) of suspending your hidden or unconscious metaphysical bias, and thus allowing reality to have its say through you. You are not under a compulsion to interpret the findings of science in any particular way; indeed, somehow, you have freed yourself of the drive to reinforce your personal point of view--something which almost every one of us does, involuntarily. Certainly in my lifetime I don't believe I have encountered such chaste and beautiful application of subjective consciousness to the realm of objective data. Nothing could be truer than what you say here your perspective on the critical response to your book. Sincerely, Robert Wood Dear James Le Fanu,
I wish I had read this before writing that second response. Your interest in and love of truth has afforded you the distinction (alone, or almost alone, among scientists whose works I have read) of suspending your hidden or unconscious metaphysical bias, and thus allowing reality to have its say through you. You are not under a compulsion to interpret the findings of science in any particular way; indeed, somehow, you have freed yourself of the drive to reinforce your personal point of view–something which almost every one of us does, involuntarily. Certainly in my lifetime I don’t believe I have encountered such chaste and beautiful application of subjective consciousness to the realm of objective data. Nothing could be truer than what you say here your perspective on the critical response to your book. Sincerely, Robert Wood

]]> By: indiagirl http://www.jameslefanu.com/archives/502/comment-page-1#comment-7 indiagirl Fri, 22 May 2009 10:26:30 +0000 http://www.jameslefanu.com/?p=502#comment-7 I thoroughly enjoyed your book. I had just attended a day of Darwin lectures at Glasgow University. It was interesting to note the differences in views of Geologists and Geneticists. I liked your book because it posed questions rather than stated answers. I feel that too much science today is agenda led and research scientists are prone to state the results they prefer before they do all the tests. I find your columns in the Telegraph also very interesting. We do need to hear all sides of stories and science progress not just the stories politicians and others think we should hear. So thank you for rekindling my flagging faith in science. I thoroughly enjoyed your book. I had just attended a day of Darwin lectures at Glasgow University. It was interesting to note the differences in views of Geologists and Geneticists. I liked your book because it posed questions rather than stated answers. I feel that too much science today is agenda led and research scientists are prone to state the results they prefer before they do all the tests.

I find your columns in the Telegraph also very interesting. We do need to hear all sides of stories and science progress not just the stories politicians and others think we should hear.

So thank you for rekindling my flagging faith in science.

]]>