Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site uwmacc.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!uwvax!uwmacc!dubois From: dubois@uwmacc.UUCP (Paul DuBois) Newsgroups: net.origins Subject: Harper's Message-ID: <697@uwmacc.UUCP> Date: Mon, 4-Feb-85 18:08:42 EST Article-I.D.: uwmacc.697 Posted: Mon Feb 4 18:08:42 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 8-Feb-85 01:55:08 EST Distribution: net Organization: UW-Madison Primate Center Lines: 36 > [Richard Carnes] > Now some bad news: The February *Harper's* contains another article > attacking evolutionary theory by Tom Bethell. If this sort of thing is > finding its way into such publications as *Harper's*, now is not the time > for complacency among evolutionary biologists. If you guessed that Bethell > is a journalist, not a biologist, you guessed right. This is, I suppose, the converse of the argument from authority, although it ends up in the same place. Paul Dolber has well said: Bethel speaks not only for himself, but summarizes the views of others - which is, after all, a journalist's job. But Richard takes an immediate crack at Mr. Bethell. And perhaps it is justified; but we shall never know from his article, nor shall we seek to find out, for he has settled the issue for us: Bethell is not a biologist, so he has nothing to say. Citing no reference, bringing up no fact or observation for discussion, nor any logical proposition, Richard shows us that it is enough to know that Bethell is a journalist, not a biologist. Instantly we see, and agree, that his comments are thus obviously entirely out of court. Very well. I am not a biologist either. I guess anything I might propose about evolution is similarly invalid by virtue of not being proposed by a biologist. The logical extension is of course that should we desire knowledge of evolution we should bow to the keepers of the Truth, the biologists, saying "surely you are the people, and wisdom shall die with you!" Which brings us round again to authority. Or perhaps, religion? You may suppose that I am overreacting. I assure you that I am. However, I trust the point is clear. -- Paul DuBois {allegra,ihnp4,seismo}!uwvax!uwmacc!dubois | --+-- Vegetarian Geology: Is it a True Concept? | |