0027 What about the other way around?

What if the specifying sign-relation is analogous to Darwin’s paradigm?

Well, let me just transfer the sign-labels from one to the other.

0028 Gibson’s term, “affordance”_1b, replaces “niche”_1b, as the potential of the specifying actuality_2a.

To me, “affordance”_1b suggests an immediate potential, which I associate to a proximate niche.  An affordance is like money in one’s pocket.  That is always good and should be sought after.  An affordance is like owing someone who wants to be paid.  That is always bad and should be avoided.

0029 So, what are biologists doing when they “reverse engineer” an apparent adaptation in order to explain it?

They start with something like a specifying sign-object_2b and end up with something like a specifying sign-vehicle_2a.  They reverse engineer something that is analogous to a specifying sign.  A specifying sign-interpretant (natural selection_3band affordance_1b) designs a sign-object (an adaptation_2b) in regards to a sign-vehicle (an actuality independent of the adapting species_2a).

The result?

An actuality independent of the adapting species_2a (SV_s) stands for an adaptation_2b (SO_s) in regards to natural selection_3b operating on an afforance_1b (SI_s).

0030 If Darwin’s paradigm is like a specifying sign, then biologists work from something like a sign-object towards something like a sign-vehicle.

0031 The term, “design”, is a point of contention.

Replace the word, “adaptation_2b” with the term, “designed product_2b“.

For an engineer, the normal context is design_3b.  Aristotle’s causes are material, instrumental, final and formal.  Design is a formal cause.  Note how all four of Aristotle’s causes come into play in the following figure.

For a biologist, the normal context is natural selection_3b, the actuality is an adaptation_2b and the potential is labeled “niche”_1b.

For a philosopher or an engineer, the normal context is design_3b, the actuality is a developed product_2b, and the potential is labeled “afforadance”_1b.

0032 In the final chapter of Dennett’s book, the author asks the question, “When will experts start using natural selection_3b as one of their tools for designing_3b in their various enterprises?”

What a wonderful question.

I think the answer has something to do with arrangements for payment_1b.

Exactly who are engineers working for?

God or mammon?