Here’s an interesting Facebook post from just now by Steve Taylor, “transpersonal psychologist” (and psychology professor at Manchester University). You may or may not find him slightly out there: I prefer the term “speculative”.
I’ve been doing a lot of reading about evolution over the last few days (for an article I’m writing) and have learned that over the last few years there has been a growing sense that the standard Neo-Darwinist model – which sees evolution as purely the result of natural selections and random mutations – cannot explain the creativity of evolution has to be abandoned. A lot of recent developments and theories like epigenetics, symbiogenesis and – most importantly – adaptive mutation have really dented the validity of Neo-Darwinism. Research has shown that mutations sometimes don’t occur randomly – they appear precisely where and when they are needed, in response to environmental challenges. There seems to be something ‘uncanny’ about evolution. (In my new book Spiritual Science I suggest that consciousness – as it manifests itself in physical forms – has a natural impulse to move towards greater complexity and order.) One of the most significant developments if the ‘Third Way of Evolution’ movement of biologists and other scientists who are trying to move beyond simplistic Neo-Darwinism.
Reg the Fronkey Farmer 6 years, 4 months ago.
