JA: ... you are probably right to be puzzled by my doubt[... ]His
books are so suffused with consistent qualms about notions of "the
struggle for survival" I never quite thought somehow that he might have
separated that from the process of evolution. And to be honest I'm still kind of
puzzled as to why he should do so.
JM: Since S.Blackwell hasn't opined, I'd rather wait for the appearance
of his "forthcoming work on this
topic." I only know that ideas can evolve without the
challenges from a "struggle for survival" competition: intelligent
arguments that only destroy "scarf-skin" are obstacles enough to
promote a change of perspective (at least, when freed from the "publish or
perish" ordeals, or the sophistries engendered by fear of
unavoidable silly mistakes). What I keep asking myself, though, is if VN
considered mankind as the (biological) end-result of evolution because he
placed the "observer" in such a privileged
position...