© David Staume 2007

Philosophy in bite-sized chunks

A Minute of Philosophy is a series of short philosophy segments written for radio, television, magazines, or mobile phone content. In the spirit of ModernPhilosophy.com the segments are accessible, thought-provoking, and inspiring. If your readers, viewers, or customers, would appreciate something to think about that takes about a minute to hear or read, click here.

Sample:

When we hear the phrase ‘evolutionary trend’ we tend to think of the development of physical adaptations such as a primate’s opposable thumb, or a cactus’ spiny exterior, but evolution involves much more than an organism’s structure. Evolution favours whatever ‘works’, whether it’s a physical structure such as a better-shaped beak, a social structure such as the division of labour in an ant colony, or an emotional bonding that leads to more effective protection of offspring. The widespread view of evolution as a predominantly physical process only gives half the picture.

Evolution will tend to develop the capacities that lead to successful sexual reproduction. Some of these include cooperation, communication, and coordination, all of which are required to locate a mate or meet up at a particular time, discern the gender, mood, and sexual availability of another individual, and successfully consummate the sexual act. Evolution is just as capable of developing emotional and intellectual capacity as it is of developing hard-shelled eggs or mammary glands.