Evolution is not so much an agent with an agenda (a man with a plan) as an ongoing, blind, impersonal process like the weather and the seasons (consider the lilies of the field). Evolution reacts and responds to ongoing changes in the external environment. As animals we have to find food and avoid being eaten - as a prerequisite for reproduction. And evolution is amoral. There are variations and the fittest (ie those with the most copies in the next generation) survive. It is a matter of pure pragmatism with no thought for political or poetic perfection.
I see this as good news. I seem to have been conditioned to prefer anarchy (without bosses/ chiefs/ emperors/ gods). Small is beautiful and possible. Go with the flow. These days it seems silly and unnecessary to imagine that there are super natural agencies planning for and controlling our existence.
The cosmos just is and, at least once, the isness generated (a) ‘life’ based on carbon, (b) ‘consciousness’ to facilitate feeding and thus reproduction, and (c) language driven ‘self consciousness’ that has given rise to the possibility of humanity steering the future direction of evolution. We have done it for dogs and pigeons and it seems likely that we will do it for ourselves and for the environment that sustains us. But why might we steer in what direction?
Is human nature good, bad or neutral and if so can it be changed? The only constant thing is change - so there are no restrictions in that area. It is never too late for minds to change.
What about morality? Do or should all living things have rights? What about the predators and the parasites? Are lions evil because they eat meat. Are plague viruses to be condemned because of their diabolical effects on their hosts. What about the rights of domesticated cabbages? How might we figure the morality of a world where the rule is ‘eat or be eaten!’? Does language at its present stage of evolution present a bridge or a barrier to dealing with moral issues?
Human nature has evolved by reshaping ancestral modules in the brain. Neuroscientists are gradually figuring out the structure and functions of the various modules. Parts of the lower brain are hangovers from our reptile ancestors, mid brain bits are from the time of our mammalian ancestors, and the upper bits (the frontal cortex) came into being with the primates and were reshaped by the hominids and then dramatically by humans.
Most of the modules in the frontal cortex evolved during the long, slow period of our evolution as hunters and gathers. And language did not appear until relatively recently during that time – about 150,000 years ago. (See note). The pre-frontal cortex in particular seems to be home to the more sophisticated cognitive operations of an individual living as a part of a social group which interacts with other groups and with the physical environment.
Our ability to use language influences our reproductive potential. But language is still a babe in arms. It has come a long way since the grunts of its origins and it is obviously good enough to get bye. But, as we noted earlier, evolution is a serendipitous chancer. Of old it dealt with myth and magic, recently it has gone scientific, and it will doubtless go in new, possibly transcendent, directions in the future.
I am fascinated at the prospect of language evolving so as to create a mindbrain blueprint which allows for, and makes good use of, the relatively new phenomenon of consciousness of consciousness (ie noticing what is being noticed and thinking about what is being thought).
In past times, by using selection under domestication, we transformed dogs, pigeons, oats, potatoes, tomatoes and bananas. What might be done in the future by biased selection on the conceptual variations that exist, and might yet be created? These might deal with such cognitive hot potatoes as sex, politics and religion; wine, women and song; and truth, beauty and wisdom etc.
In order to operate in a given socio-cultural setting human beings have various points of view and usually a catch-all world view that promotes cognitive consonance. Language is a key part of the enculturation process that ties individuals and groups into a particular world view. Boundaries are created between ‘me’, ‘we/us’, and ‘them’. These lock people into narrow clusters of parochial and xenophobic views. This might have been adaptive in the ancestral foraging times. But, arguably, in these global times, narrow mindedness is not an attractive feature during the mating process. So what is? Arguably the gentle peace that comes with ‘mindfulness’.
The practice of mindfulness is at least 2500 years old. But, until recently, it has been reserved for a minority of the people. It is now going mainstream. It is a world view variation (a meme?) whose time has come. It is settling in the mindbrains of increasing numbers of individuals and is being supported by communities of like-minded devotees. Many variations exist. This is a healthy sign as it gives evolution plenty to work with. But, this time around, it need not be left to its own devices. Those individuals and groups who are mindfully awake and aware can plan for and promote a style of thinking, feeling, speaking and acting that is ‘better’ than what presently exists. Towards political or poetic perfection – stardust comes to know itself - yoh!
NOTE: “The time range for the evolution of language and/or its anatomical prerequisites extends, at least in principle, from the phylogenetic divergence of Homo (2.3 to 2.4 million years ago) from Pan (5 to 6 million years ago) to the emergence of full behavioral modernity some 150,000 - 50,000 years ago. Few dispute that Australopithecus probably lacked vocal communication significantly more sophisticated than that of great apes in general, but scholarly opinions vary as to the developments since the appearance of Homo some 2.5 million years ago. Some scholars assume the development of primitive language-like systems (proto-language) as early as Homo habilis, while others place the development of symbolic communication only with Homo erectus (1.8 million years ago) or Homo heidelbergensis (0.6 million years ago) and the development of language proper with Homo sapiens less than 200,000 years ago.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_language
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