blog 13

Bacon and Darwin 

   Bacon uses the word idols to mean phantoms or illusions. I don't think idol is a good word to use in this context because typically I relate something you look up to as an idol not an illusion. I believe the Idols of the tribe are the most effective in distorting all of the other idols. These idols reside in human nature itself and is "a false assertion that the sense of man is the measure of things." If your view on human nature is skewed everything will be altered with it. Idols of the Tribe and Idols of the Marketplace both are results of social intercourse while Idols of the Cave and Idols of the Theater both mainly affect the individual. If the individual was restricted they may be sheltered from those Idols of the Marketplace because these have to relate to words. If one man is alone then they won't have to communicate with others. A hermit may lack certain idols but I feel like he would experience more of the individualized idols because he would be used to focusing on himself. 

    Darwin writes about natural selection and survival of the fittest, this phrase can be best interpreted as those who are physically and mentally the strongest will live longer. For example if an animal has a specific terminal disease it will most likely die off before being able to reproduce. By this happening the genome for that individual which carries the code for that particular disease will not be passed on within the species. Natural selection is very important, nature will weed out the weak individuals hopefully allowing only the fit to reproduce. Natural selection is selecting for traits which will benefit the species as a whole. By selective breeding of animals the humans typically chose a certain trait they are breeding for and are only interested in making that offspring better. Natural selection increases randomness and chance and is by far more important. I don't believe Darwin would appreciate cloning, he is all for natural selection and evolution. There is no such thing as the perfect individual therefore by cloning you will just be repeating the bad traits. Darwin expresses the necessity of randomness and natural selection in order for the species to thrive. Humans are the worst species today, we are babied out of control. Survival of the fittest definitely does not apply to us or half of the humans wouldn't be alive right now. We will do anything to keep the lesser members of society alive, and to do what? They reproduce and now we have another generation of insufficient society members. Modern medicine allows us to beat the sickness quicker but all in all weakens our immune system when before we would have to build up immunity to certain diseases.