Originally posted by lao tzu
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Ergo - if greater height gives a member of the species an advantage, beings with greater height will survive at a greater rate, passing on the adaptation to their progeny at a higher rate. If the ability to use tools gives a being an advantage in their niche, nature will select for it. If reason provides a greater survival advantage, nature will select for it.
So when someone says, "we don't need eyesight to survive - many animals survive without eyesight," they are misunderstanding how evolution works. The question is, will eyesight help me survive at a greater rate than my competitors in this niche. If the answer is yes, evolution will select for it. Likewise, when someone says, "many animals get by without consciousness, so consciousness is not an aid to survival," they are misunderstanding how evolution works. The question is, does consciousness help me survive at a greater rate than my competitors in this niche. If the answer is yes, nature will select for it.
It's kind of like the old joke about the two men who come upon a bear near the edge of a field. As the bear charges, one man immediate turns and bolts into the open field. The other man screams, "Are you crazy? You can't outrun a bear!" The first man screams back, "I don't have to outrun the bear. I just have to outrun YOU!"
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