Emergent evolution

Emergent evolution

Emergent evolution is the hypothesis that, in the course of evolution, some entirely new properties, such as life and consciousness, appear at certain critical points, usually because of an unpredictable rearrangement of the already existing entities. The concept has influenced the development of systems theory and complexity theory.

Historical context

The word "emergent" was first used to describe the concept by George Lewes in volume two of his 1875 book "Problems of Life and Mind" (p. 412). Henri Bergson covered similar themes in the popular book "Creative Evolution" in 1907. It was further developed by Samuel Alexander in his Gifford Lectures at Glasgow during 1916–18 and published as "Space, Time, and Deity" (1920). The term "emergent evolution" was coined by C. Lloyd Morgan in his own Gifford lectures of 1921–22 at St. Andrews and published as "Emergent Evolution" (1923). In an appendix to one lecture in his book, Morgan acknowledged the contributions of Roy Wood Sellars' "Evolutionary Naturalism" (1922).

References

*George H. Lewes, "Problems of Life and Mind", First Series: The Foundations of a Creed, vol. II (1875). University of Michigan Library: ISBN 1425555780
*Henri Bergson, "Creative Evolution" (1911, English translation of "L'Evolution créatrice"), Dover Publications 1998: ISBN 0-486-40036-0
*Samuel Alexander, "Space, Time, and Deity" (1920). Kessinger Publishing reprint: ISBN 0766187020 [http://www.giffordlectures.org/Browse.asp?PubID=TPSTAD&
]
*C. Lloyd Morgan, "Emergent Evolution" (1923). Henry Holt and Co., ISBN 0-40460468-4, [http://www.giffordlectures.org/Browse.asp?PubID=TPEMEV&
]


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