![]() ![]() But in one particular sense the more recent forms must, on my theory, be higher than the more ancient for each new species is formed by having had some advantage in the struggle for life over other and preceding forms. “There has been much discussion whether recent forms are more highly developed than ancient. Darwin’s view of the matter is summarized nicely by Timothy Shanahan: “while he rejected any notion of evolutionary progress, as determined by a necessary law of progression, he nonetheless accepted evolutionary progress as a contingent consequence of natural selection operating within specified environments.” This fits well with Darwin’s own words: On the one hand more recent biological forms seem more advanced, on the other hand no one agrees on precisely what progress is. The debate between those who defend evolutionary progress and those who deny it has been ongoing throughout the history of biology. “Cosmic Evolution and the Meaning of Life”Īre there trends in evolution - cosmic, biological, and cultural - that support the claim that life is meaningful, or is becoming meaningful, or is becoming increasingly meaningful? Perhaps there is a progressive direction to evolution, perhaps the meaningful eschatology of the universe will gradually unfold as we evolve, and perhaps we can articulate a cosmic vision to describe this unfolding - or perhaps not. ![]()
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