The direction of evolution: The rise of cooperative organization

Two great trends are evident in the evolution of life on Earth: towards increasing diversification and towards increasing integration. Diversification has spread living processes across the planet, progressively increasing the range of environments and free energy sources exploited by life. Integration has proceeded through a stepwise process in which living entities at one level are integrated into cooperative groups that become larger-scale entities at the next level, and so on, producing cooperative organizations of increasing scale (for example, cooperative groups of simple cells gave rise to the more complex eukaryote cells, groups of these gave rise to multi-cellular organisms, and cooperative groups of these organisms produced animal societies). The trend towards increasing integration has continued during human evolution with the progressive increase in the scale of human groups and societies. The trends towards increasing diversification and integration are both driven by selection. An understanding of the trajectory and causal drivers of the trends suggests that they are likely to culminate in the emergence of a global entity. This entity would emerge from the integration of the living processes, matter, energy and technology of the planet into a global cooperative organization. Such an integration of the results of previous diversifications would enable the global entity to exploit the widest possible range of resources across the varied circumstances of the planet. This paper demonstrates that it’s case for directionality meets the tests and criticisms that have proven fatal to previous claims for directionality in evolution.

 

The direction of evolution: The rise of cooperative organization
John E. Stewart

Biosystems
Available online 1 June 2014

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystems.2014.05.006

Source: www.sciencedirect.com

Can Systems Of The People, By The People, For the Titans, Long Endure? | Errors We Live By | Big Think

See on Scoop.it – Global Consensus

Lincoln proclaimed good government is “of the people, by the people, for the people,” (from Wycliffe’s 14th-century Bible). That last clause provides a tyranny test. Tyranny being any power used “not for the good of those…under it,” but for the tyrants benefit.

Orwell reviewing Hayek’s Road To Serfdom said free markets were “a tyranny probably worse…than that of the state.” He knew tyrants are easier to stop than a “tyrantless tyranny” of bad ideas. A constitution-like balance of powers within economies must ensure they serve “the people.”

Daniel LaLiberte‘s insight:

Don’t forget the danger of the tyranny of the majority.  I believe there can be such a thing as too much cooperation, which can result in the imposition of the will of the majority over that of minorities.  True consensus decision making needs to fairly consider the views of all.

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Rising Up! The Growing People-Powered Movement Is Showing Power

See on Scoop.it – Global Consensus

A report shows that we are seeing the largest protests in world history, with a steady increase in the overall number of demonstrations annually.

See on www.alternet.org

Global Citizens to Elites: Join Climate Fight ‘Or Step Aside’

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More than 100 organizations representing millions of global citizens held a demonstration in Bonn, Germany on Friday as they delivered a direct message to government leaders gathered for climate talks with a simple, but urgent message: “Stand with us, or step aside.”

 

The morning event saw organizations from every continent – including trade unions, social movements, environmental groups, gender and youth groups, indigenous groups and NGOs – join together to demand climate justice as they warned that current levels of inaction by governments are dangerously off-track in addressing the climate emergency.

 

“We are more determined than ever to fight for the survival of our families, our communities and our peoples across the world – a survival that rests on nothing less than the fundamental transformation of a system that has generated massive impoverishment, injustices and a climate crisis that threatens all life on earth.”

 

 

See on www.commondreams.org