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#11
08-13-2007, 08:56 AM
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Re: Why did man evolve an...........
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it's really difficult to find the precise reasons behind human behaviors these days... [/ QUOTE ] it is very difficult to find the precise reasons behind any animal behaviors. (specially higher vertebrates)... 
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#12
08-13-2007, 09:05 AM
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Re: Why did man evolve an...........
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[ QUOTE ] A male who is so skilled at gathering food that he can spend lots of time on creating art obviously must have very good genes. [/ QUOTE ] Is this an argument, a question or a reflection? Its moderately poor as a question, simplified beyond having value as an argument and as a reflection it shows lack of knowledge. [/ QUOTE ] no need to hate..I think the man is on the same track I am... just another thought... I'm not sure where I remember this from but whatever it was it talked about early humans and how, in many tribes there would be "religious" leaders... probably eating mushrooms or anything else and dancing around and painting and making noise... I suppose the people in the tribe thought that these men could see the future...or could make it so that the tribe would make a big kill some time soon...and stuff like that... perhaps these men were well respected and well looked after... it might be beneficial to posess the ability to create art or music...and, as I discussed earlier..sexual selection does its thing. *I haven't slept all night, so I'm sorry if I'm just rambling
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#13
08-13-2007, 09:50 AM
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Re: Why did man evolve an...........
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The only explanation I can think of is those abilities are simply byproducts of the ability to recognize patterns. However that explanation just doesn't feel right. We appreciate art and music too much for it to be a byproduct. [/ QUOTE ] I think music tickles the language circuits. The whole gamut of emotions are fired by music, as language can also do. Note that a musical phrase corresponds roughly in length to a verbal sentence (at least with accessible, popular music).
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#14
08-13-2007, 10:08 AM
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Re: Why did man evolve an...........
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appreciation for art and music? I just can't see how those abilities fit well with the whole "survival of the fittest" concept. The only explanation I can think of is those abilities are simply byproducts of the ability to recognize patterns. However that explanation just doesn't feel right. We appreciate art and music too much for it to be a byproduct. Stu [/ QUOTE ] Could be a co-evolving but independent parasitic meme.
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#15
08-13-2007, 10:35 AM
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Re: Why did man evolve an...........
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appreciation for art and music? I just can't see how those abilities fit well with the whole "survival of the fittest" concept. The only explanation I can think of is those abilities are simply byproducts of the ability to recognize patterns. However that explanation just doesn't feel right. We appreciate art and music too much for it to be a byproduct. Stu [/ QUOTE ] Joseph Campbell discusses the beginnings of spiritual needs  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-xk6twrYvw
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#17
08-13-2007, 11:00 AM
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Re: Why did man evolve an...........
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but then why have spiritual needs evolved? (this is an inherently vague term, so i don't know if it's even possible to answer my question) [/ QUOTE ] Because of our increased brain capacity. Because we had started to realize what we are part of, and we need to reconcile with that. Fundamentally, art is a fulfillment of that need.
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#18
08-13-2007, 11:03 AM
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Re: Why did man evolve an...........
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usical theories and investigations Pythagoras was interested in music and the Pythagoreans were musicians as well as mathematicians. He wanted to improve the music of his day, which he believed was not harmonious enough and was too chaotic. According to legend, the way Pythagoras discovered that musical notes could be translated into mathematical equations was one day as he passed blacksmiths at work, and thought that the sounds emanating from their anvils being hit were beautiful and harmonious and decided that whatever scientific law caused this to happen must be mathematical and could be applied to music. He went to the blacksmiths to learn how this had happened by looking at their tools. He discovered that it was because the anvils were "simple ratios of each other, one was half the size of the first, another was 2/3 the size, and so on." (See Pythagorean tuning.) The Pythagoreans elaborated on a theory of numbers, the exact meaning of which is still debated among scholars. Pythagoras believed in something called the HARMONY OF THE SPHERES. He believed that since planets and the stars all moved in the universe according to mathematical equations that these mathematical equations could be translated into musical notes and thus produce a symphony.[5] [/ QUOTE ]
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#20
08-13-2007, 12:10 PM
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Re: Why did man evolve an...........
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appreciation for art and music? I just can't see how those abilities fit well with the whole "survival of the fittest" concept. The only explanation I can think of is those abilities are simply byproducts of the ability to recognize patterns. However that explanation just doesn't feel right. We appreciate art and music too much for it to be a byproduct. [/ QUOTE ] I've bolded the fallacies in your argument. My point being, even if you personally can't think of plausible explanations, this is not an argument against evolution. In fact, even if it were true that no one had yet thought of plausible explanations, that still would not be an argument against evolution. Do you see why? Just because we cannot think of plausible mechanisms (yet) to fill the gaps in our understanding of the universe does not logically imply that you get to spackle those holes up with God. And what kind of God is it that you want, that he is ever-shrinking as our scientific knowledge is ever-growing?
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