I suppose I fail to see why evolution through natural selection is not optimizing. That was Darwin's big idea, right? That given heredity, selection, and variation you end up with life forms we'd consider optimized for their environments?

Or do you mean that optimization by definition must include intent, and evolution as a mindless process has no intentionality?

I'm just not sure what you're driving at.

▲

robotresearcher 3 days ago | parent [-]

Optimization is by definition with respect to some cost function or goal. Evolution has none. Evolution happens, but has no goal.

▲

moi2388 3 days ago | parent | next [-]

That’s the claim. But are we sure about that?

I certainly have a goal when selecting my partner and creating my offspring; at the very least that they’re happy and healthy.

	▲	3 days ago \| parent [-]
		[deleted]

▲

emmelaich 3 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I would say the goal is survival. Which happens at the cell/dna.. level (mostly) not the organism. (nod to Dawkins)

▲

the_af 3 days ago | parent [-]

Evolution has no goals, not even survival. Evolution is something that happens. Some species survive for a while, others don't.

Think of it like saying water has the goal of flowing down the mountain along the path of least resistance. Of course it doesn't, it's just something that happens. There's no goal.

	▲	emmelaich 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		Perhaps it's an over-anthrophormic term.

▲

davidkwast 3 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The goal is to accelerate Entropy

▲

nathan_douglas 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Ah! That makes sense. Thank you for explaining!