Author notes

EXPLANATION SIX: SOME IMPLICATIONS

alschroeder

on Sept. 21, 2014

Continuing down the list of six possible explanations for the "anthropic" coincidences in nature which allow intelligent life to evolve…largely inspired and derived from George F.R. Ellis' brilliant brief book, BEFORE THE BEGINNING. He is NOT responsible, though, for the liberties I've taken with his logic or how I've chosen to illustrate it.
Despite the above,this one is mostly my own thoughts on the matter. It's true that the Originating Intelligence allows evolution and predation to proceed in all its messy, sometimes homicidal, even genocidal path, without interfering. Some would say that would make the Designer incompetent, impotent, or malevolent. Others would answer a level, impartial "playing field", run by definite rules is most conducive to developing intelligence.
I'll touch on that later.
I also wanted to make sure that everyone understands that because our existence seems to be built in to those initial conditions–if deliberately designed, we needn't necessarily be the main goal. We MIGHT be–or we might just be a side item, similar to a bookshelf. Humility as well as Copernican thought would suggest we not over-estimate our importance in the ultimate scheme of things.
Nor, if intelligent life is the goal of the cosmos, should we necessarily consider ourselves, or creatures of our intelligence level in this cosmos, the end goal. The goal MIGHT be our evolutionary successors—whether biological or artificial intelligences we create.
We mustn't make ourselves too important.
Speaking of not making oneself too important…
Here's hoping I don't get as swelled a head as the one in that last panel–thanks to YOU, A REASONABLE CASE won the award for best Philosophical/Political comic, which was a delightful thing to wake up to Thursday morning.
Next time will be our fiftieth page. It'll be an important one.



Next time: CHOOSING AMONG THE EXPLANATIONS