Cosmic Evolutionary Theory

Discussion

Cadell Last:

"What is the function and purpose of humanity? Are we mere epiphenomena, here for the blink of a cosmic eye, destined to perish on a universal stage that did not expect us and does not need us? Is the historical process really directionless and meaningless with no escape and no hope for a higher state of humanity in relation to each other and the universe? This is where cosmic evolutionary theory has a chance to re-organize our perspective and provide new insight. Throughout the development and evolution of our local universe there has been an interconnected growth of complexity from physical, chemical and bio-logical systems, as well as cultural and technological systems. This growth of complexity appears to open up new possibilities for the exploration of new relationships and new opportunities for experience in the universe. When we consider humanity from this perspective we find that our scientific focus shifts towards the human system which now occupies a frontier position of highest complexity and cognition. Consequently, we are capable of directing the future of evolution, and whatever emergent possibility could stem from our uniquely cultural and technological activities. Or said in another way, whatever ‘act’ comes next in the ‘cosmic drama’ it will emerge from within the domain of collective human social values, cultural creativity, and our exploration of latent technological possibility. In this way the universe gives the appearance of internalizing its future potentiality within a network of billions of biocultural nodes that in aggregate represent a phenomenon capable of producing yet another level of complex organization. This perspective does not succumb to the trap of anthropocentrism as I am not arguing that humans are ‘reclaiming centrality’. Instead I am making the philosophical argument that humans could represent an important process in the context of the growth of local complexity that is part of a much larger ‘multi-local’ cosmic phenomenon. Of course this is speculative but it is entirely plausible that cosmic evolutionary theory has application on a universal scale, with other analogous levels of local complexity developing via a type of ‘universal culture’. Therefore, in this attempt to understand the deep future, I do not attempt to specifically focus on understanding the role of mysterious impersonal forces such as dark energy and dark matter, but rather seek to understand how intimately familiar processes related to culture, technology, language, and mind could reshape the universe and/or possess a cosmic function in the operations of the cosmos itself, consequently adding new dimensions of purpose to our lives today and hope for a higher future. In short, we stand on the frontier of cosmic evolution and a future of tremendous possibility unforeseen by most historical humans."

(https://cadelllast.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/last-c-2015-big-historical-foundations-for-deep-future-speculations5.pdf)

More information

* Article: Cosmic Evolutionary Philosophy and a Dialectical Approach to Technological Singularity. By Cadell Last. Information 2018, 9, 78; doi:10.3390/info9040078

URL = https://cadelllast.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/last-c-2018-cosmic-evolutionary-philosophy-and-a-dialectical-approach-to-technological-singularity.pdf