Hermanthegerm, Bill Warren, Cjh501

"I don't see why we need to disagree"

Because we are not even standing on the same ground to have a debate.

A poster pointed out that 2001 is science fiction. Exactly. It is fiction. But the development of man and man's intelligence on Earth is not fiction. It is an historical fact and subject to scientific evaluation. Science explains that development through the Theory of Evolution. I am a Darwinist. An explanation which relies on an alien manipulation of man's history is anti-Darwinist to me.

Mystical is perhaps the wrong word. Let's just say it is fiction and dragging in anti-Darwinism via the back door.

It is one thing for science fiction to deal with an alternative world or with the future. It is quite another to deal with the past and then ignore the facts of the past. That does open a door which just calling it "fiction" can not close.

Just my viewpoint. Thanks everyone for your debates. It is good for an old geezer like me to cross swords with sharp young guys now and then.

1. "The movie does not declare that alien intervention is necessay for any kind of evolution; it only suggests that it happened in this (possibly isolated) case."

As the only evolution we are aware of is that on Earth, and that is the only one most care about or our science explains, this seems beside the point to me.

2. "Collies and Dalmations"

But both remain dogs with dog intelligences.

Last Edited By: atenolol Jan 23 11 2:51 PM. Edited 1 times.