Selectionism and Stage Change: The Dynamics of Evolution, I

Author: Commons, Michael Lamport

Source: World Futures: The Journal of General Evolution, Volume 64, Numbers 5-7, July 2008 , pp. 348-360(13)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

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Abstract:

Selectionism addresses the process of transition or change. In its evolution, Homo Sapiens has demonstrated such transitions to more hierarchically complex stages of performance at the individual, organizational, cultural, and biological levels. Traditionally, changes in biological, cultural, organizational, and individual behavior have been studied separately, with very little overlap. The current theory integrates selectionism across these realms, while noting that in each, selectionism operates through somewhat different mechanisms. Selectionism is comprised of complex processes in which tasks of greater hierarchical complexity may be selected. Increased stages of performance underlie evolution's dynamics of increased complexity.

Keywords: Behavior; biology; culture; evolution; hierarchical complexity; individual; organization; selectionism; stage of performance; transitions

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02604020802301188

Affiliations: 1: Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Publication date: 2008-07-01