tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11542449.post6900473505554872990..comments2024-03-04T05:55:35.225-05:00Comments on Vital Remnants: Jacques Barzun on the relation of Darwinism and "woe in our day"Martin Cothranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16452612266051351726noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11542449.post-60043176780832434172008-04-23T00:19:00.000-04:002008-04-23T00:19:00.000-04:00Anonymous,First of all, Barzun was not assuming an...Anonymous,<BR/><BR/>First of all, Barzun was not assuming anything with regard to what Darwin meant by "higher", he was just quoting Darwin himself saying that there is something grand about the idea of survival of the fittest, and that this idea has similar features to what was being said by Nazi spokesmen.<BR/><BR/>Tell me what you think Darwin is saying here.Martin Cothranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16452612266051351726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11542449.post-40226875495632049062008-04-22T16:42:00.000-04:002008-04-22T16:42:00.000-04:00"But in any case, why would Darwin object to contr..."But in any case, why would Darwin object to controlled breeding of humans unless he thought they were "higher" than animals, the controlled breeding of which he did not object to?"<BR/><BR/>You're assuming he would mean the same thing by "higher" in both cases. Obviously, "higher" can be used in a moral sense or in the sense of complexity.<BR/><BR/>The passage Barzun is quoting of Darwin is Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11542449.post-50579394391050864132008-04-22T10:29:00.000-04:002008-04-22T10:29:00.000-04:00I would recommend reading Barzun before accusing h...I would recommend reading Barzun before accusing him of not knowing what he is talking about. But in any case, why would Darwin object to controlled breeding of humans unless he thought they were "higher" than animals, the controlled breeding of which he did not object to?Martin Cothranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16452612266051351726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11542449.post-24962497812065038212008-04-21T00:20:00.000-04:002008-04-21T00:20:00.000-04:00The fact that Jacques Barzun thinks that Darwinism...The fact that Jacques Barzun thinks that Darwinism refers to "higher" animals in respect to superiority shows he doesn't know what he's talking about. Darwin simply refers to complexity. Evolution doesn't proceed towards any goal intentionally, even complexity, for its own sake. Darwin was actually quite compassionate in his political views, saying that even if eugenics would improve the stock ofAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11542449.post-14409744650146539062008-04-20T23:45:00.000-04:002008-04-20T23:45:00.000-04:00Jah,Responses to your comments:1. Where did I say ...Jah,<BR/><BR/>Responses to your comments:<BR/><BR/>1. Where did I say that?<BR/>2. Where did I say that?<BR/>3. Where did I say that?<BR/>4. Where did Barzun say that?<BR/>5. With all due respect, my blog is for my joy, not yours. If you enjoy it, great. If you don't, you don't need to read it. But, just so you know, the spam should pipe down here shortly (it usually does), and I'll take the Martin Cothranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16452612266051351726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11542449.post-44626384941494986382008-04-20T22:37:00.000-04:002008-04-20T22:37:00.000-04:001) Just because a statement was made over 50 years...1) Just because a statement was made over 50 years ago does not make it true. <BR/><BR/>2) I don't recall anyone claiming that Stein originated the Darwin-totalitarian regime claim.<BR/>Why change topics yet again?<BR/><BR/>3) Are you claiming that Darwin supported wars between nations of humans?<BR/><BR/>4) Barzun wrote "From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life 1500 to the Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com