Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction Paradigms in science and society
- I The mechanistic worldview
- II The rise of systems thinking
- III A new conception of life
- 7 What is life?
- 8 Order and complexity in the living world
- 9 Darwin and biological evolution
- 10 The quest for the origin of life on Earth
- 11 The human adventure
- 12 Mind and consciousness
- 13 Science and spirituality
- 14 Life, mind, and society
- 15 The systems view of health
- IV Sustaining the web of life
- Bibliography
- Index
14 - Life, mind, and society
from III - A new conception of life
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 April 2014
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction Paradigms in science and society
- I The mechanistic worldview
- II The rise of systems thinking
- III A new conception of life
- 7 What is life?
- 8 Order and complexity in the living world
- 9 Darwin and biological evolution
- 10 The quest for the origin of life on Earth
- 11 The human adventure
- 12 Mind and consciousness
- 13 Science and spirituality
- 14 Life, mind, and society
- 15 The systems view of health
- IV Sustaining the web of life
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
The evolutionary link between consciousness and social phenomena
Around 4 million years ago, an extraordinary confluence of events occurred in the evolution of primates with the appearance of the first upright-walking apes of the genus Australopithecus (see Section 11.2). The new freedom of their hands allowed these early hominids to make tools, wield weapons, and throw rocks, which stimulated the rapid brain growth that became characteristic of human evolution, leading eventually to the development of language and reflective consciousness. While they developed complex brains, tool-making skills, and language, the helplessness of their prematurely born infants led to the formation of the supportive families and communities that became the foundation of human social life. Thus, the evolution of language and human consciousness was inextricably connected with that of technology and of organized social relations from the very beginning of human life. In particular, the evolutionary stage of the Australopithecine hominids established a fundamental link between consciousness and social phenomena. With the evolution of language arose not only the inner world of concepts and ideas but also the social world of organized relationships and culture, which is the subject of this chapter.
From an evolutionary perspective, then, it is very natural to ground the understanding of social phenomena in a unified conception of life and consciousness. Indeed, the systems view of life attempts to integrate life's biological, cognitive, and social dimensions (see Capra, 2002). As we discussed in Section 12.3.3, our ability to hold abstract mental images – a critical property of reflective consciousness – is of special relevance to such an integrative approach. Being able to hold mental images enables us to choose among several alternatives, an ability which is necessary to formulate values and social rules of behavior. On the other hand, differences of values give rise to conflicts of interest, which are the origin of relationships of power, as we shall discuss below. Thus, the ability of human consciousness to form abstract mental images of material objects and events lies at the roots of the main characteristics of social life.
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- The Systems View of LifeA Unifying Vision, pp. 297 - 321Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2014