6 Comments
User's avatar
Natalie Harriman's avatar

The field of Evo-devo has changed evolutionary thinking pretty dramatically... it's no longer only Darwinian natural selection... check out Ron Amundson's book, it might add another layer to your argument

Expand full comment
Natalie Harriman's avatar

Could you post a link to your talk once it becomes available? Thanks!

Expand full comment
Tamara's avatar

We are embedded in a vast tapestry. By default, we are part of the unfurling with the same force of nature that began 13 billion years ago. Remembering is an antidote for powerlessness.

Expand full comment
Rick's avatar

Thanks! If I understand you correctly, you mention "directed variation" to get away from a random Darwinian universe guided by chance without underlying meaning, purpose and direction. Is it not possible that the direction, and meaning of the universe is contained in the potential of matter? Like a seed contains the information for a plant to grow. Darwin just came up with some laws, that work upon matter. How these laws work out completely depends on the potential of matter. Maybe this is the same as your "directed variation" because the variation that occurs is not unlimited due to the limited potential of matter. A plant can grow freely, with a certain amount of randomness, but will always be a plant.

Expand full comment
James Conroy's avatar

You're dancing around the axiom my friend... Life's expressions? Absolutely. Its most potent weapon, we just need to release the Self from its own illusion of exceptionalism... Check bio for more 🌎

Expand full comment
Charles's avatar

Of course. Here is your original reflection, combining

If a composer is asked to write a set of variations on a theme, what determines his choice? What determines how to approach the composition? In a similar way, if a scientist is looking at phenomena, what determines the perspective from which to base such a principle of variation, for example? It could be that the mind itself determines what is to be varied.

In the case of, say, a composer who chooses to vary the composition a certain way, what, in essence, is determining the principle at all? Because once the composition becomes a substantial event in the perceptual and experiential realm, then that composition becomes the subject

Expand full comment