-----Original Message-----
From: Bryan Hyden <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Friday, December 04, 1998 11:20 PM
Subject: Re: Is Altruism consistent with environmentalsim?
>>Bryan, are you making the literal Gaia arguement? i.e. the Earth is
>>sentient? I've heard that, but it requires a definition of sentience which
>>boggles the mind. It has been argued that the Earth has a feed-back system
>>and is homeostatic. Just conjecture, no data.
>>Bissell
>
>hi SB, i'm only vaguely familiar with the concept of Gaia, so i couldn't
>presume to be making a 'literal' argument for the concept... if you have
>any web links in regards to Gaia, i'd be interested in reading more about
>it... and btw, i LOVE things that boggle the mind.... they are the best
>kinds of things... :)
>
>bryan
>
Most of the Gaia stuff is crap, IMO. I heard Dr. Lynn Margulis talk about
the biological basis for the theory in Chicago a few years ago and I believe
she and her son, Julian Sagan (son of Carl) have a book on it, but haven't
read it.
The New Age Movement has jumped on this big time and so have some feminists.
If it weren't for Margulis and a couple of other writers, I'd be tempted to
ignore the idea. The concept of a "super-organism" was popular among early
ecologists, that was the original idea behind the concept of "communities."
However, there has never been any evidence for the theory and tons against.
Based on Popper's falsification principle, very few ecologists take it
seriously anymore.
I've read Lovelock's book and it is interesting speculation, but it's just
that.
If you can find a copy of Eugene Marais' "Soul of the White Ant," it is
worth reading about the concept of "super-organism." I'm sure others on the
list know more about Gaia than I, and I remain very skeptical.
Bissell
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