Reality is Rife with Unique Events
Friends:
As I mentioned in this blog on Friday, Dr. Ulanowicz's presentation to the Science and Religion Group and Friends on Saturday was challenging.
There were numerous points worthy of comment.
I will mention two--with a risk that they will be seen out of the rich context in which they are found.:
1. Nature in its complexity is rife with singular events. Ulanowicz here is coming from a statistical analysis--and his study of biological systems.
Thus every action is not pre-determined by a law of nature! Of course the implication is that divine action in the world is quite possible--though not provable.
2. Mutualism is essential in nature; competition is second. Up until now, I have tended to be thinking in terms of the neo-Darwinian position that stresses competition as primary. Ulanowicz brings other considerations to bear in his consideration of evolution.
The current Science and Religion Group project--A Platform for Peacebuilding--would seem to me to resonate with the emphasis on Mutualism being central in nature, and thus building cooperative relationships does not go against the essentials of evolution.
--I should not neglect to mention that Fr. Jim Wiseman of CUA kicked off the discussion with his 4 questions--the discussion was substantive to say the least [perhaps some of those in attendance will comment on this blog].
Peace,
John
posted by Larry Golemon @ 10:11 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
I would clarify that, as I understand (and agree with) Bob Ulanowicz's position, mutualism precedes competition at a lower level of organization, not at the same level where the competition takes place. Within a given level, competition is primary.
For example, competing cells might join together (thereby enhancing their survival under natural selection) into mutualistic colonies or organisms, which then compete among themselves until they band together into cooperative societies, which then compete among themselves, and so forth. This stepwise evolution is consistent with Neo-Darwinian theory. Within (say) the organismal level, however, competition is the primitive condition, and mutualism is the derived, emergent condition.
This is an important point, because many people are anxious to reject the Neo-Darwinian account and assert that evolution is really driven by cooperation, not competition, even within a given level of organization. I don't think this is the case, at least among living organisms; nor do I think this state of affairs is theologically problematic -- on the contrary!
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