Nature's Magic: Synergy in Evolution and the Fate of Humankind

Nature'sMagicpresentsaboldnewvisionoftheevolutionaryprocessfromtheBigBangtothe21stcentury.Synergyofvariouskindsisnotonlyaubiquitousaspectofthenaturalworldbutithasalsobeenawellspringofcreativityandthe'driver'ofthebroadevolutionarytrendtowardincreasedcomplexity,innatureandhumansocietiesalike.Butincontrastwiththemanytheoriesofemergenceorcomplexitythatrelyonsomeunderlyingforceor'law',the'SynergismHypothesis',asPeterCorningcallsit,isinessenceaneconomictheoryofbiologicalcomplexity;itisfullyconsistentwithmainstreamevolutionarybiology.CorningreferstoitasHolisticDarwinism.Amongthemanyimportantinsightsthatareprovidedbythisnewparadigm,Corningpresentsascenarioinwhichthehumanspeciesinventeditself;synergistic,behavioralandtechnologicalinnovationswerethe'pacemakers'ofourbiologicalevolution.Synergyhasalsobeenthekeytotheevolutionofcomplexmodernsocieties,heconcludes.Thefinalchapteraddressesourcurrentchallengesandfutureprospects.