Socratic dialogue with a Naturalist

Yet another problem I have with the atheistic philosophy and paradigm is that of its profession of Naturalism and its simultaneous unprincipled exception (to borrow from Lawrence Auster) towards the behaviour of man.

That is, while everything in the world comes from Nature and operates solely by its laws, humans are somehow special and different. Why are humans special different?

Because of their capacity for speech and higher brain functions.

And how did this difference arise?

Through random mutations accumulating over eons, in a process we know as evolution.

And because of this, Man is special? There are bugs that have abilities unimitated by other species so why don't we give them special rights and privileges?

Because they are not our own species.

So they are not special?

No, they are special. Humans tend to be chauvinistic and not give a hoot-and-holler about creatures that aren't themselves.

If they are special, why don't we care about them?

Every creature is special. We don't care for them for reasons I just mentioned.

But that's weird... if every creature is special, then how can we say any one creature is special?

I , uh...

And furthermore, if all that is special about us happened randomly over events far beyond our history and capacity to change, why call anyone special at all? Surely a bug who can't talk now may in a billion years' time not only talk but gather fruit with telekinesis and regenerate its limbs in a matter of seconds--abilities I think are more "special" than talking and thinking.

You are being absurd. Don't be so evasive with your reductio ad absurdum and get back to the topic on hand.

You're right, right. What I meant to say was that the descendants of said bug would be endowed with all these special abilities.

You are doing it again!

Fine, I cheerfully withdraw my snide remarks. I realize I did not let you explain why any one creature is special.

Each organism occupies a certain niche in our ecology. Maintenance of that ecology is what lets all living things acheive balance in our environment.

Oh, it's just like how we cannot have a country full of lawyers because there will be no one to deliver pizza.

Uhhh, I suppose. In our environment are producers, consumers, predators, prey, decomposers and many other jobs. Take out any one player in the game, and it is all ruined.

Oh, I see.... Wait, let me get this straight--what governing board keeps this ecology intact.

There isn't one.

Is that so? Why use the word "Maintenance?"

That is simply a term to make the whole system understandable to humans.

Oh, so now you're being chauvinistic! (chuckle) I'm sorry, don't get angry with me. You mentioned that this ecology includes decomposers and prey. Well, I'm glad someone out there is willing to eat my shit, but there are critters that need to die?

Haven't you ever stepped inside a McDonald's?

Good point, forget I said anything. But it does stand that there are necessarily some that get exploited and some that do the exploiting, right?

Yes, but as overexploitation rises, the exploiter declines in number until the exploited increases. This is one simple model.

Oh, this must be the "maintenance" you speak of. I'm pretty sure that this whole system is tightly regulated and though numbers flutucate in a microscale, they remain fixed in the macroscale.

No, creatures can evolve to be better hunters or be harder prey to catch.

And they do this randomly?

Uh, well, yes.

So creatures randomly, somehow, become better killers or harder to kill.

There is a direction to this--creatures that mutate advantageous traits will increase in number, while those with disadvantageous traits or neutral traits will fall by the wayside and die. This is natural selection.

Oh, but those creatures are special, right?

That is irrelevant.

But you said that all creatures occupy their niche in their environment, making them special. These critters that can't swing at their own weight class... they must really suck!

Where are you getting at?

Why bother calling creatures special if it is quite probable that they are destined to be replaced by creatures greater than they are, more "special" as it were?

Stop putting value judgements on these things.

Why? because they are not special, or because you are a nihilist?

.....

What is our niche?









And thus, a topic for some time in the future.