Species II

[Ron Gatrelle]

In what ever I end up saying below my main focus is how the various
calssifications, human perspecitves, realities, whatever -  relate
specifically to Lepidoptera.

James Adams wrote: But a child being able to recognize an arthropod,
mammal, primate, or cat does not make the taxa we call "phyla", "class",
"order" or "family" any more non-subjective.

Children are very keen observers.  A small child's recognition of the above
as different establishes the profundity of their observation - though they
don't understand it and can thus not even explain it.  The broad wisdom in
their recognition does make the reality of what they observed more
non-subjective (less subjective). What they observe and comment on without
knowning the ramifications, is that living things really are existant is
very different groups or levels of relationship.

Don't try to analyze to death the child and his statement*(footnote) - just
appreciate the profound reality of their _observation_.  All living things
are clearly manifest as being in related groups of greater or lesser
complexity. Even a 10 year old  can see that. Thus, adult humans who are
engaged in systematic taxonomy are not just "making things up" or creating
"arbitrary" ranks or groups or species etc. Nature exists within a highly
refined interrelated and interactive structure. There is nothing arbitrary
about IT. We talk of the theory of evoultion - one day we will uncover and
put down on paper the Laws of Evolution.

At the same time the simple observaion does not diminish any of the
enormous complexity that can only be recognized by an adult mind engaged in
uncoverng the parameters of such relationships and groups. This is the view
of the Elephant James was referring to. He is correct of course in that our
adult explanitons are very subjective. But why?  Because we are studying
something inherently chaotic? No. The word subjective means - subject to.
Things are so subjective to us and in or communications simply because our
observations, detections, etc. are subject to the fact that we still know
so little about it - THEM. For us here the them are butterflies and moths
(and what ever else we may later call or not call them = determine them to
actually be).

The wind blows! is a child's Fact.  Where does it come from? is something a
professional adult gets paid to surmise about. Just because we do not know
where it came from does not mean it is not blowing.  Just because _we_ can
not professionally and precisely delineate genera or subgenera, species or
subspecies does not mean they in fact do not exist in precisely layered
ranks and within well defined parameters in nature. How does one
accurately - according to the reality of nature - define a butterfly
species?  Well, I guess we are all still waiting for the human who actually
knows to step up to the microphone. Klots and many others have done this to
this extent. They sexually reproduce their own kind - and not another -
when left alone in their natural environment. Hybrids don't count (factor
in).
Ron

*(footnote)
This will sound like a change of subject, but I want to point something
out. The cultural mind of Western humanity is programmed from birth to
"think" is various ways that are quite different from the Eastern or Far
Eastern cultural mind. I surely can not get into all of this, but for
example.  To the Eastern mind a thing of beauty is simply acknowledge as
such - not only is no explanation based on analyzation of the beauty
sought - none is even wanted. To the Western mind we have to define it.
Actually, insist that the Easterner not just tell us "she is beautiful" to
also tell us why.  American's are the worst at this. Which is why most in
the US eat to live - unlike those in say Greece who live to eat. This is
also why American men are historically poor lovers. When the woman partner
says "do" or "don't" the American male without fail will not respond in
doing or not doing but in asking "why?"  This is why American women learn
as little girls to not ask men anything as they will usually not get
cooperation just interrogation. It is also why so many American women are
so domineering and unsubmissive.Where are you going? What are you doing?
Why do you ask?  We are a nation of know it alls which is why more often
than not Americans condescendingly look down on the rest of the world.




 
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