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Toward a Post-Darwinian
Evolutionary Paradigm: Reframing Natural Selection
as Natural Self-Selection Abstract: The term "natural selection," as
coined by Charles Darwin, has long served as a cornerstone of evolutionary
biology. However, its metaphorical structure and dualist origins have
rendered it conceptually misleading in light of
contemporary understandings in systems theory, quantum observation, and
post-theistic philosophy. This paper critiques the philosophical and
linguistic limitations of "natural selection" and introduces the
alternative concept of "natural self-selection." By reframing
selection as an emergent, self-regulating, and systemically driven process,
this paradigm shifts the focus from abstract external forces to localized
adaptive agency. The aim is to realign evolutionary theory with a more
accurate, ethically coherent, and ontologically consistent framework for the
21st century. 1. Introduction: The Language of Science Shapes Its
Concepts: Scientific progress relies not only on empirical data
but also on the conceptual frameworks and linguistic tools we use to
interpret reality. Terms become embedded in disciplinary thought, shaping how
phenomena are perceived and theorized. "Natural selection," a term
introduced in the 19th century, is one such conceptual anchor. Despite its
widespread utility, the term has obscured as much as it has clarified. We
argue that it is time to retire this term and replace it with one that better
reflects contemporary understanding: natural self-selection. 2. The Theological Residue in "Natural
Selection"?: Darwin,
writing from within a Christian cultural framework, inadvertently embedded
dualist assumptions in his theory. The term "selection" presupposes
a selector. While Darwin analogized nature to a breeder in artificial
selection, this metaphor tacitly invokes a transcendent agency. Even in
secular interpretations, "nature" functions as an abstract,
external umbrella—a vague omnipresence that filters life. This
framing echoes theistic structures: a god-like force adjudicating
survival. Such
dualism, while culturally comprehensible in Darwin's time, is
epistemologically untenable today. Nature is not a separate realm imposing
decisions upon passive organisms. The selection process occurs within the
systemic interaction of self-regulating entities and their environments. It
is not imposed; it is emergent. 3. Quantum Observation and the Collapse of
External Agency: Modern physics has radically altered our
understanding of observation, causality, and agency. In quantum mechanics,
outcomes are not determined until interaction occurs. The observer is part of
the system. This undermines the notion of an external, deterministic
selector. Instead, it supports a model of distributed, relational becoming. Similarly,
biological evolution is not governed by an external force selecting outcomes.
Rather, it unfolds through continuous interactions between organism and
environment, where adaptation is not a passive reaction but an active process
of modulation, entanglement, and self-regulation. 4. Systems Theory and the Rise of Autopoiesis: The
development of systems theory, particularly in the work of Maturana and
Varela on autopoiesis, provides a framework for understanding life as a
self-creating and self-maintaining system. In this view, organisms are not
objects acted upon by external forces but dynamic
systems engaged in continuous self-production. Adaptation, therefore, is not
externally selected but internally generated through feedback, coherence, and
structural coupling. The term
"natural self-selection" aligns with this systems view. It
emphasizes the internal dynamics of adaptive emergence rather than the
illusion of external filtration. 5. Natural Self-Selection Defined: Natural
self-selection refers to the process by which self-organizing systems (cells,
organisms, populations) continuously modulate their own viability through
interaction with their environments. It acknowledges that the locus of
adaptation is the system itself. Survival is not awarded by nature; it is
enacted by the organism through systemic coherence. This
process is: ·
Non-dualist: It does
not invoke an external agent. ·
Emergent: It
arises from within the system-environment nexus. ·
Ethically
coherent: It restores agency to living systems. ·
Conceptually
precise: It avoids metaphor and anthropocentrism. ·
6. Implications for Evolutionary Theory:
Reframing evolution as natural self-selection has far-reaching implications: ·
Educational:
Students can learn biology without absorbing metaphysical distortions. ·
Theoretical: Models of
evolution become more consistent with contemporary physics and systems
science. ·
Ethical: Humans,
as natural quanta, are not victims of nature but participants in a process of
self-regulation and adaptive becoming. 7. Conclusion: Discarding the Umbrella: The
persistence of the term "natural selection" reflects not its
accuracy but its historical comfort. As science progresses, so too must its
language. The umbrella of abstract selection must be replaced with the
grounded, emergent reality of natural self-selection. In doing so, we move
toward a science that is not only more accurate but more aligned with the
participatory, systemic, and ethical nature of life itself. The
druid’s original proposition + ChatGTP’s responses |