大学英语精读文本1-6册(txt下载) 分节阅读 29

aboutothermatters,manyofthemtouchingprofoundissuesforourunderstandingofnature,arestillgoingonand,indeed,,Ifear,areluctanceonthepartofscienceteacherstotalkaboutsuchthings,basedonthebeliefthatbeforestudentscanappreciatewhattheargumentsareabouttheymustlearnandmasterthe"fundamentals".Iwouldbewillingtoseesomeexperimentsalongthisline,

Thereis,forone,,differingfromalothercreaturesinbeingabletothinkthingsover,capitalizeonpastexperience,,"lower",animals(withpossibleexceptionsmadeforchimpanzees,whales,anddolphins)cannotdosuchthingswiththeirminds;theylivefrommomenttomomentwithbrainsthatareprogrammedtorespond,automaticallyorbyconditioning,tocontingenciesintheenvironment,Behavioralpsychologistsbelievethatthisautomaticorconditionedresponseaccountsforhumanmentalactivityaswell,althoughtheydislikethatword"mental".Ontheothersidearesomeethologistswhoseemstobemoregenerous-minded,whoseenocompellingreasonstodoubtthatanimalsingeneralarequitecapableofrealthinkinganddoquitealotofit——thinkingthatisn'tasdenseashumanthinking,thatissparserbecauseofthelackoflanguageandtheresultantlackofmetaphorstohelpthethoughtalong,

Thepointaboutthisargumentisnotthatonesideortheotherisinpossessionofamorepowerfularrayofconvincingfacts;;

Anotherdebatablequestionariseswhenonecontemplatesthewholebiosphere,,resemblingasitdoesasortofenormousdevelopingembryo,withnothingbutchanceeventstodetermineitsemergence?LovelockandMargulis,facingthisproblem,haveproposedtheGaiaHypothesis,whichis,inbrief,thattheearthisitselfaformoflife,"acomplexentityinvolvingtheEarth'sbiosphere,atmosphere,oceansandsoil;"Lovelockpostulates,inaddition,that"thephysicalandchemicalconditionofthesurfaceoftheEarth,oftheatmosphere,"

Thisnotionisbeginningtostirupafewsignsofstorm,andifitcatcheson,asIthinkitwill,wewillsoonfindthebiologicalcommunitysplitintofumingfactions,onesidesayingthattheevolvedbiospheredisplaysevidencesofdesignandpurpose,

Onemorecurrentbattleinvolvingtheunknownisbetweensociobiologistsandantisociobiologists,,inopen-mouthedastonishment,onegroupofhighlyintelligent,beautifullytrained,knowledgeable,andimaginativescientistsmaintainingthatallbehavior,animalandhuman,isgovernedexclusivelybygenes,andanothergroupofequallytalentedscientistsassertingthatallbehaviorsissetanddeterminedbytheenvironmentorbyculture,:

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