Overview

This work is a bold new effort to embrace all aspects of life-molecular, cellular, behavioral, and cultural-within the formulation of a general theory of evolution that extends classical Darwinian theory to include human society.

Full Product Details

Author:   Vilmos Csányi
Publisher:   Duke University Press
Imprint:   Duke University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 16.30cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 23.00cm
Weight:   0.726kg
ISBN:  

9780822308362

ISBN 10:   0822308363
Pages:   277
Publication Date:   14 March 1989
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Awaiting stock  
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Table of Contents

Foreward xi Acknowledgments xii Preface xiii 1. Theoretical Problems of Modeling the Biosocial System 1 System and model 1 System, components, identity 4 Structure, organization, organizational levels 6 Information, function 8 Origin of information and complexity 14 The replicative model 18 Operation of the replicative model 22 2. Molecular Evolution 25 The origin of life 25 Synthesis of building blocks: polymers on primeval Earth and in outer space 26 The phase of molecular evolution 54 The autogenesis of eukaryotes 67 3. The Evolution of Multicellular Organisms 78 The first period of the evolution of prokaryotes 78 A model of the origin of multicellular organisms of from prokaryotes 79 A model of multicellular evolution from eukaryotes 81 Ontogenesis of multicellular organisms: an autogenetic process 82 Macroevolution 84 4. The Evolution of Ecosystems 86 Ecosystem as a component system 86 Autogenetic model of the evolution of ecosystems 90 Evolution of the biosphere 93 5. Some Unsolved Problems of the Evolutionary Theory and Autogenetic Model 95 Neo-Darwinism 95 Neutral evolution 97 Punctuated evolution and stasis 99 Adaptation, fitness, and selection 101 The meaning of adaptation, fitness, and selection in the autogenetic model 103 Creative and negative selection 106 Creative and negative selection at various organizational levels 108 6. Neural Evolution 113 Energy flows in the multicellular organisms 113 Models of the external world in the brain 115 The structure of the modeling brain 118 Outlines of a behavioral theory 127 Phases of autogenesis of the human brain 142 7. Cultural Evolution 148 Animal cultures 149 The question of the genetic determination of culture: coevolution of genes and culture 150 Cultural complexes as a second-order organisms or sociocultural machines 155 The autogenetic model of cultural evolution 158 The zero-system of cultural evolution and the biological basis of human culture 163 The phases of cultural replication 174 The emergence of allopoietic cultural machines and further phases of identical replication 181 Technical evolution 184 Autogenesis of the global system 187 8. Fundamental Laws of the Evolutionary Process 190 9. The Problems of a Finite Earth 193 The biosphere 193 Population growth 196 Economic problems 197 Appendix 1 201 Appendix 2 204 Appendix 3 (Gyorgy Kampis) 216 References 227 Index 249

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