Comment upon Evolution

The attempt to define evolution as a directed and causal series of inheritance of traits, points at a larger issue that unfortunately hampers progress in science itself. That issue is the zealous quasi-religious adherence to a doctrine of stochastic probability. This is really a question of ontology that has played out over at least several millenia. When Heraclitus ironically cited change as the only constant substance of reality, this was succinctly brought into human consciousness. Einstein's quip that God doesn't shoot pool was of a piece. Leibniz' critique of Newton's dead clock winding ontology in his debate with Clarke, likewise. A vision of a mission that directs scientific inquiry must govern how we proceed. Such is the eradication of disease, the establishment of a defense in space against future impacts from comets and asteroids, and finally evolving an energy regime of controlled thermonuclear fusion. One must start from the standpoint of necessary human evolution.