Re: Terminology defs

Bryan Maloney wrote:

> "Rule" implies a legislator--it's teleological.  In biology, we've
> stopped using "law" and "rule" whenever possible.  Instead, we refer to
> "trait" or "characteristic", far less teleological.  Unless one is
> referring specifically to a system wherein there *is* a "legislator" of
> some sort, "rule" or "law" is unnecessarily teleological and proscribptive
> language.  "Trait" does not carry such baggage.
If you think about it, language does call for such teleological
language. *We* are the legislators and arbiters of the language. *We*
come up with the rules. Language is, in many respects, a construct of
society. Biology is different in that there is no such legislation going
on (unless you believe in that kind of thing ;).

--
Dan Seriff <microtonal@...>

"Mozart is just God's way of making the rest of us feel inferior."
        - David Barber