There's No Such Thing As Species

[bodacious]

I've been meaning to write a series of articles for a while about the emergent nature of life, and how every living creature is really just an individual expression of a singular life process.

This is the first post I've written to broach this issue—feedback welcome:
thinkersplayground.com/trying-to-define-the-indefineable.html

 

[MetabolicTrash]

I didn't read much yet, but I agree with the idea I think you're trying to get across.

Many of us use the idea of genetics or creationism or "individuality" in a deeper sense in order to separate people from each other; to classify; to make superior or inferior; to identify as "unique" but then complain of "hierarchies" above you or "race superiority" and politics of such. For example, someone's smarter than you? Must be their smart genes! Richer? They have that "oomph" or "something" to work hard (some might ignore unfairness or corruption that can play a role in this and similar subjects too) while you do not. Not genes? God wanted them to be smarter then by a "miracle." Not God? Then it's just how it is -- no clear way to explain it.

In other words it almost always does come down to either something one can weakly reference ("It's genes, buddy! Don't know anything about it but I hear that's how it works!") -- or the unknown which is grasped at for its sense of arousal/appeasement of the "greater existence" or acceptance as being just a pitiful mortal in an unknown or immeasurable sense of boundlessness surrounding us. Some either strongly identify with a sense of rigidity in our understanding of variations as we see, like if we are all "molds" that are mechanically cooked up and then allowed some "variation" expression like a slightly different number you can pass as an argument to a fixed function (or gene) to get a slightly different result. Some of the "results" are often believed to be somehow in-organically "computed" from stored info/factors like we are developed by lines of code/a fetch-decode-execute-writeback kind of system from within (treating genes, development and variation akin to ROM on a computer or such). It's kind of amusing how subjects like bio-energetics, bio-electrics and etc. are completely swept under the rug by many, including a lot of scientists working in molecular biology/genetics/physiology/medicine/and so on -- almost like closing the boundaries on where you can take information so it doesn't stray too far out of its outlined bounds, i.e. where it is expected or wanted to go instead of going wherever you are led to find the answers, even if you are taken away from your initial "field" or such.

The general idea is that traits are "fixed" -- the whole genetic argument in a nutshell. A lion is different because "lion DNA" and I am different from you because "my DNA" and etc. People I hear tend to liken physical characteristics to DNA very strongly (including health too), but allow personality or character traits to be based on different development so as to not sound bigoted in some ways. For example, this rationale would be kind of like saying that a "minority" member gets poor grades in school because he/she is treated poorly (which makes sense -- experience shaping him/her), but then will backpedal and say that his/her bad health is what makes him/her get bad grades because it is "wired" in them by their DNA, such as maybe ADHD, defiant personality/personality issues, mood problems, etc. Who is to say that how we look also isn't based on different developmental physiology (outside of just a "set" gene(s)) too ("genes" in the way most people speak of them in particular)? It is interesting how the goal posts sometimes move when convenient or politically correct/incorrect, but the bigger picture is often missed anyways.

 

[Underlyingbody]

I didn't read much yet, but I agree with the idea I think you're trying to get across.

Many of us use the idea of genetics or creationism or "individuality" in a deeper sense in order to separate people from each other; to classify; to make superior or inferior; to identify as "unique" but then complain of "hierarchies" above you or "race superiority" and politics of such. For example, someone's smarter than you? Must be their smart genes! Richer? They have that "oomph" or "something" to work hard (some might ignore unfairness or corruption that can play a role in this and similar subjects too) while you do not. Not genes? God wanted them to be smarter then by a "miracle." Not God? Then it's just how it is -- no clear way to explain it.

In other words it almost always does come down to either something one can weakly reference ("It's genes, buddy! Don't know anything about it but I hear that's how it works!") -- or the unknown which is grasped at for its sense of arousal/appeasement of the "greater existence" or acceptance as being just a pitiful mortal in an unknown or immeasurable sense of boundlessness surrounding us. Some either strongly identify with a sense of rigidity in our understanding of variations as we see, like if we are all "molds" that are mechanically cooked up and then allowed some "variation" expression like a slightly different number you can pass as an argument to a fixed function (or gene) to get a slightly different result. Some of the "results" are often believed to be somehow in-organically "computed" from stored info/factors like we are developed by lines of code/a fetch-decode-execute-writeback kind of system from within (treating genes, development and variation akin to ROM on a computer or such). It's kind of amusing how subjects like bio-energetics, bio-electrics and etc. are completely swept under the rug by many, including a lot of scientists working in molecular biology/genetics/physiology/medicine/and so on -- almost like closing the boundaries on where you can take information so it doesn't stray too far out of its outlined bounds, i.e. where it is expected or wanted to go instead of going wherever you are led to find the answers.

Cope lol. Genetics are everything

 

[Chad_Catholic]

Evolution is a myth.

 

[Madlash]

Whether or not species "really exist," you'll still find yourself unable to study animal life without constantly using the concept. This is one of those arguments where it's in essence an intellectual flourish and even the person making the argument will think and behave as though they believe otherwise for 99% of their day.

 

[Chad_Catholic]

Cope lol. Genetics are everything

Do genetics determine whether after death here on earth you go to heaven or hell?