Re: human/chimp oral differences

Marc Verhaegen wrote:

>
> >Marc writes: As you know, I am an extreme Darwinist with a very
> biological & a very functional view on human behaviour. There's no
> contradiction between biological & cultural. Think of the bird dialects that
> differ according to the forest they live in. Or the dolphins who learn the
> peculiarities of their individual sounds from their mothers.
>
> >Gerry: You say there is no contradiction between biological and cultural?
> Are you also saying that what has been labeled as cultural (Boas et.al.) is
> determined by genetics? Yet as illustration you mention bird calls differing
> according to the forest they live in. Are you implying that genes "think"?
> IOW, are you saying that genes "know" they are in different forests so they
> change their tunes? Hmmmm. This is most peculiar. If language were genetic
> then the calls would be the same because there were be a cluster of genes
> that is labeled "oral twitters and peeps". WOW. This is a significant
> thought. This means that those medical folks who think they can perform gene
> therapy and replace a defectively constructed gene with one that works
> properly are WRONG! Yikes! Stop all the Operating Room surgeries! We've got
> a horrible problem on our hands! What can be done! Gosh Marc, any
> suggestions? Whew, I'm so pleased that you pointed this out. And it's a good
> thing you're an extreme Darwinist -- the entire human race could have been
> doomed.
> Gerry 2/18/00
>
> Gerry, I'm sorry but I don't understand a word of what you are saying. The
> birds learn their songs from their fathers & from neighbours. Nothing is
> purely genetic in biology. What do you mean by genetic? DNA? but DNA is
> wrapped in histones, protamines etc. It's in interaction with the nucleus,
> the cell, the neighbouring cells. The distinction nature/nurture is
> completely artificial.
>
> Marc
>
>

Marc, I'm so happy you didn't understand what I was saying -- much of it
was tongue in cheek but some was for those folks who believe that the
genes determine everything, behavior and all. When you said you were an
extreme Darwinist with a functional view of behavior, I interpreted this
as ruling out environment and culture etc. as additional factors in
determining human behavior. Glad to see that I was wrong. But you do
puzzle me with your last sentence that the distinction between
nature/nurture is completely artificial. What do you mean by the
distinction being artificial?

Thanks,
Gerry


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Gerald Reinhart
Independent Scholar
(650) 321-7378
waluk@...
http://www.alekseevmanuscript.com