Evolutionary Systems and Society
A General Theory
Will be published approx. on 14. March 1989
Book
Hardback
304 pages
978-0-8223-0836-2 (ISBN)
Description
This work is a bold new effort to embrace all aspects of life-molecular, cellular, behavioral, and cultural-within the formulation of a general theory of evolution that extends classical Darwinian theory to include human society.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
North Carolina
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 163 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
658 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8223-0836-2 (9780822308362)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Vilmos Csányi
Content
Foreward xi
Acknowledgments xii
Preface xiii
1. Theoretical Problems of Modeling the Biosocial System 1
System and model 1
System, components, identity 4
Structure, organization, organizational levels 6
Information, function 8
Origin of information and complexity 14
The replicative model 18
Operation of the replicative model 22
2. Molecular Evolution 25
The origin of life 25
Synthesis of building blocks: polymers on primeval Earth and in outer space 26
The phase of molecular evolution 54
The autogenesis of eukaryotes 67
3. The Evolution of Multicellular Organisms 78
The first period of the evolution of prokaryotes 78
A model of the origin of multicellular organisms of from prokaryotes 79
A model of multicellular evolution from eukaryotes 81
Ontogenesis of multicellular organisms: an autogenetic process 82
Macroevolution 84
4. The Evolution of Ecosystems 86
Ecosystem as a component system 86
Autogenetic model of the evolution of ecosystems 90
Evolution of the biosphere 93
5. Some Unsolved Problems of the Evolutionary Theory and Autogenetic Model 95
Neo-Darwinism 95
Neutral evolution 97
Punctuated evolution and stasis 99
Adaptation, fitness, and selection 101
The meaning of adaptation, fitness, and selection in the autogenetic model 103
Creative and negative selection 106
Creative and negative selection at various organizational levels 108
6. Neural Evolution 113
Energy flows in the multicellular organisms 113
Models of the external world in the brain 115
The structure of the modeling brain 118
Outlines of a behavioral theory 127
Phases of autogenesis of the human brain 142
7. Cultural Evolution 148
Animal cultures 149
The question of the genetic determination of culture: coevolution of genes and culture 150
Cultural complexes as a second-order organisms or sociocultural machines 155
The autogenetic model of cultural evolution 158
The zero-system of cultural evolution and the biological basis of human culture 163
The phases of cultural replication 174
The emergence of allopoietic cultural machines and further phases of identical replication 181
Technical evolution 184
Autogenesis of the global system 187
8. Fundamental Laws of the Evolutionary Process 190
9. The Problems of a Finite Earth 193
The biosphere 193
Population growth 196
Economic problems 197
Appendix 1 201
Appendix 2 204
Appendix 3 (Gyorgy Kampis) 216
References 227
Index 249
Acknowledgments xii
Preface xiii
1. Theoretical Problems of Modeling the Biosocial System 1
System and model 1
System, components, identity 4
Structure, organization, organizational levels 6
Information, function 8
Origin of information and complexity 14
The replicative model 18
Operation of the replicative model 22
2. Molecular Evolution 25
The origin of life 25
Synthesis of building blocks: polymers on primeval Earth and in outer space 26
The phase of molecular evolution 54
The autogenesis of eukaryotes 67
3. The Evolution of Multicellular Organisms 78
The first period of the evolution of prokaryotes 78
A model of the origin of multicellular organisms of from prokaryotes 79
A model of multicellular evolution from eukaryotes 81
Ontogenesis of multicellular organisms: an autogenetic process 82
Macroevolution 84
4. The Evolution of Ecosystems 86
Ecosystem as a component system 86
Autogenetic model of the evolution of ecosystems 90
Evolution of the biosphere 93
5. Some Unsolved Problems of the Evolutionary Theory and Autogenetic Model 95
Neo-Darwinism 95
Neutral evolution 97
Punctuated evolution and stasis 99
Adaptation, fitness, and selection 101
The meaning of adaptation, fitness, and selection in the autogenetic model 103
Creative and negative selection 106
Creative and negative selection at various organizational levels 108
6. Neural Evolution 113
Energy flows in the multicellular organisms 113
Models of the external world in the brain 115
The structure of the modeling brain 118
Outlines of a behavioral theory 127
Phases of autogenesis of the human brain 142
7. Cultural Evolution 148
Animal cultures 149
The question of the genetic determination of culture: coevolution of genes and culture 150
Cultural complexes as a second-order organisms or sociocultural machines 155
The autogenetic model of cultural evolution 158
The zero-system of cultural evolution and the biological basis of human culture 163
The phases of cultural replication 174
The emergence of allopoietic cultural machines and further phases of identical replication 181
Technical evolution 184
Autogenesis of the global system 187
8. Fundamental Laws of the Evolutionary Process 190
9. The Problems of a Finite Earth 193
The biosphere 193
Population growth 196
Economic problems 197
Appendix 1 201
Appendix 2 204
Appendix 3 (Gyorgy Kampis) 216
References 227
Index 249