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morley | 1 year ago

I don't read "it exists because it has to exist" in the parent's statement. They're saying that there's an advantage one way and a disadvantage another, and evolution favors advantages. I wouldn't characterize a statement like that as a tautology, and I don't think the author deserves your dig for it.

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ars|1 year ago

> and evolution favors advantages

The question was how, not why.

Your answer is like saying "how does the eye focus light" and answering "so that you can see".

VeninVidiaVicii|1 year ago

In my opinion there’s a general fundamental misunderstanding on the purpose of theories. I see it all the time — attempts to explain why something is useful simply because it exists (re: popular science evolution). There are loads of suboptimal traits that are counterbalanced by something else.