[Advaita-l] Re: Anthropic principle

[Krishnan Sundaresan]

Dear list-members.

Apologies if you receive multiple copies. My previous reply was returned 
undelivered. I seem to have problems replying from my gmail account to this 
list. Can the list-admin please advise?

My $0.02:

The anthropic principle is human-centered, i.e., it proclaims that humanity 
does hold a special place in the universe. So does our Aitareya Upanishad 
from the Rigveda. Chapter 1, section 2, verses 3-4 of that Upanishad 
proclaim similar beliefs. Verse 3, in particular, says: "... God first tried 
to put the sense organs in a cow and then in a horse. But the divinities 
(senses) were not happy with these creations. So he finally created the 
human being, a very appropriate creation for the proper functioning of the 
divinities". 

This verse has also been interpreted by many as pointing to the theory of 
evolution of humans from four-legged creatures and nature (God) having 
promoted the fittest being (Man) and blessed him with the power of thinking. 
But it is paradoxical in the sense that, according to this interpretation, 
evolution (Darwinism) seems to be promoted by Intelligent Design (ID). That 
should throw a huge spanner in the works of the Darwinism.vs. ID debate 
currently raging here in the US.


-Regards
Krishnan

-- 
Krishnan Sundaresan, http://www.msu.edu/~sundare2
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA.
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Excuse me for butting in, but I'm interrupt-driven...