My Next Book

I haven't blogged in a while because I've started work on my next book, which is, perhaps predictably, about evolution. The thesis of the book is still moving around, so it's too early to commit myself to anything formal. However, I'm trying to bring together a variety of related ideas in an effort to say something original.

First, when we expand the definition of evolution to include the cosmological evolution of matter, the biological evolution of life, and the sociocultural evolution of human history, we find that this overarching theme of universe development has unmistakable symbolic implications. That is, these facts cannot be contained in a purely empirical system -- they have an undeniable metaphysical message. And the metaphysical message that has been attached to them so far -- the message that evolution is a random process that has no purpose and makes no progress -- becomes self-evidently false once we begin to recognize that these different types of development are all nevertheless forms of authentic evolution.

Second, when we look into the evolution of human history and culture, we find that a significant factor in this type of evolution is the underlying evolution of consciousness itself. Prior to humans, the evolution of consciousness in animals proceeded in lockstep with their biology -- for an animal to get appreciably smarter it had to evolve its brain. But humans have demonstrated the remarkable ability to evolve their consciousness in ways that are partially liberated from their biology. The fact that consciousness itself evolves is thus another factor that shows the need for a new metaphysical container or framework for our understanding of evolution as a whole.

Just as the science of physics was radically transformed in the 20th century from Newtonian physics to quantum physics, I will argue that we are now witnessing a similar transformation in the subject of evolution. This new era in our understanding of evolution will include an enlarged recognition of interiors and the indispensable role of purpose in the evolutionary process -- the evident purpose found in all forms of consciousness. This does not signal a retreat from scientific standards of rigor nor an embrace of creationism in any form, but it does show us how materialistic metaphysics are currently exhausted and a new, more adequate metaphysical container for evolution is now demanded by the emerging facts.

As I hope to demonstrate, the new form of "minimal metaphysics" that is required for our deeper understanding of evolution involves the recognition of the essential role of beauty, truth, and goodness in the developmental process. These intrinsic values serve to kindle the evolutionary impulse, pulling evolution forward by luring consciousness into increasingly more evolved states and stages. And as we discover these larger truths within the evolutionary process we come to appreciate Alfred North Whitehead's consciousness-centric definition of evolution, which holds that:

"Evolution is an increase in the ability to experience what is intrinsically valuable."

Obviously, these statements require extensive explanation and argumentation to be credible, but this is why I'm writing the book! I'll provide updates on my progress as the writing unfolds. In the meantime, please don't hesitate to email me with your thoughts and suggestions on this exciting and controversial subject.