Read the whole article.
ABSTRACT: The principle of natural selection is taken as a starting point for an analysis of evolutionary levels. Knowledge and values are conceived as vicarious selectors of actions from a repertoire. The concept of metasystem transition is derived from the law of requisite variety and the principle of hierarchy. It is defined as the increase of variety at the object level, accompanied by the emergence of a situation-dependent control at a metalevel. It produces a new level of evolution, with a much higher capacity for adaptation. The most important levels are discussed, with an emphasis on the level characterizing man as distinct from the animals. An analysis of the shortcomings of this "rational" system of cognition leads to a first sketch of how the next higher "meta-rational" level would look like.
1. INTRODUCTION
The Principia Cybernetica Project aims to develop an integrated philosophical system based on cybernetic and evolutionary concepts (Turchin, 1990). This system will be constructed collaboratively, with the support of computer technologies such as hypermedia, electronic mail and electronic publishing (Joslyn, 1990). A complete philosophy should contain at least an ontology or metaphysics, an epistemology, and an ethics or theory of values. Moreover, it should provide an answer to the fundamental questions: Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going to?
It is my contention that all these questions can be answered on the basis of an analysis of the general process of evolution, with a particular emphasis on the emergence of new levels of complexity or control. Indeed, the concept of evolution itself provides a foundation for a "process" metaphysics, like in the philosophies of Bergson, Teilhard and Whitehead, and for an "evolutionary" epistemology (Campbell, 1974). It allows a detailed analysis of the development of human intelligence from lower levels of evolution, thus answering the questions about who we are and where we come from. Finally, an extrapolation of the direction of evolution into the future may provide a first answer to the question of where we are going to, and thus provide a framework for a theory of values or ethics, aimed at the avoidance of "evolutionary dead ends".
In the present paper I will concentrate on the process which is at the base of the emergence of the higher, "cognitive" levels of evolution, starting with the origin of life. The lower—physical and chemical—levels will have to be addressed in another study.
Tags:
No comments:
Post a Comment