Do we transcend evolution and have we altered it?
Yes, I know some people may not believe in evolution as applies to creation, yet even people that do not believe such a thing likely believe through certain breeding plans and such we can alter animals over time and generations. It is hard to dispute this as we have historically done this many times and we still do it today.
We can thus assume that even if you believe in some form of creationism that evolutionary ideas are still at work today and happen regularly. I wanted to state this up front primarily so creation vs evolution did not derail this topic.
For this post I am assuming evolution as a process is occurring today. This is typically known as "survival of the fittest".
Tie in to my other posts
Today I have written about a couple of things but primarily this post should be considered an offshoot of my post about tools. This post is my first writing about an idea I've pondered off an on for a few years and always forget (until now) to write down somewhere.
Have we transcended evolution or altered it?
In this day and age through the use of tools we have actually I believe transcended many of the typical things we would consider evolution. It may not always seem to be survival of the fittest. We actively work to protect all people in our society and if they need extra help we typically will offer it. A wheel chair bound person is no longer doomed. A baby with defects is no longer left in the woods to die.
Yet it is interesting in other ways as well.
In the tool use a Knife being used as a weapon or used to cut food was mentioned in a comment. This comment actually reminded me of wanting to write about this.
When it comes to us as tool users many of our tools give us vast advantage in combat. It no longer is exclusively the most fit person that can survive. The amazing martial arts master might die quickly by a gun if they are further than 20 feet away or caught by surprise.
Through our tool use we have changed the rules of evolution. So is it still present?
Where is evolution going?
I believe the rules of evolution still very much apply. The thing that has happened is that or society through tool use has transcended the typical ecological system. We have created a new one that is artificial and a construct made by us and our cultures. There is still survival of the fittest, but that has always been tied to procreation and perpetuating our genes through the gene pool. This is still very valid, but what things may lend your ability to do that has changed. There is also some danger or regression here. It is particularly easy for people to pass upon their genes these days and often is pure idiocy. This is where my mind flashes to the movie Idiocracy which while it is a comedy I also believe it was a bit scary as it seemed to be almost prophetic.
I do see indicators that some of what is proposed in that movie actually is happening. Especially what happens within the first few minutes of that movie.
In a sense this is almost reverse evolution... aka devolving. We have messed with the natural flow so much and we prop up those who cannot or have no interest in being productive and these elements continue to express their genes. There have been historical movements suggesting that such genes should be culled from the gene pool and this has been pretty dark and evil. The term for this is typically called Eugenics. Though typically they focus on promoting the great genes rather than telling people about culling.
My main thoughts on this which I wander to every once in awhile tend to spin around how we the humans have changed how evolution interacts with us. It still happens, but how it happens is a lot less clear as the traditional rules of survival that the rest of the animals on the planet deal with no longer seem to apply.
We have also brought some other life forms along with us in these journeys. Our pets and many other domesticated animals also are outside of the normal evolutionary process.
Steem On!
Evolution can be defined as descent with modification.
The implications are
Fun fact...biological evolution takes a LONG time....hundreds of thousand of years if not longer.
I would submit that man, since we control our environment. (if it gets cold, put on more clothes, light a fire, turn up the central heat...etc. If it's too hot..get cooler by what ever means). The same would apply to other factors in our environment. We change it to suite ourselves.
THUS...man no longer evolves..
It is the environment that tends to cause evolution. It is survival of the fittest within the environment.
I do think we will still evolve, but it is no longer as clear how that might happen as due to the fact we change our environment (as you wisely stated) we also change what things will tend to be most beneficial in those environments. This also makes it increasingly difficult to determine which traits will be the most desireable and thus go the furthest within our environment. We tend to gravitate towards different traits at different times.
I definitely still see hints of evolution even in man. I also see hints of devolution. We also have been known to make environments that seem good at the time and not really think through the long term ramifications of our choices. Sometimes these can bite us in the ass.
However, you essentially were getting close to the thoughts I was having that inspired me to write this. Mankind with our tools both physical and conceptual has altered the environment and thus changed the potentialities with regards to evolution.
Evolving as animals do based upon temperature, availability of food, defense, etc... I agree that type of evolution seems to have stopped for man.
Yet there is nothing I've seen which constrains evolution simply to such things.
It just takes a few generations. There are experiments with fishes who do a lot of evolution (like all colors except one disappear) in less then 10 generations.
In controlled conditions designed to accelerate the process, yes. Like the experiment involving the rapid domestication of Russian silver foxes.
Something you didn't mention is that highly aggressive men either self select for dangerous work or aren't suited for anything else. Because they go off to die in wars, their reproductive opportunities obviously are diminished. Less aggressive, more congenial men pursue less dangerous jobs which they secure by networking. This gives them the same high pay but much lower rates of premature death.
The result has been what you might call "self-domestication". Evolution has forced us into the shape needed to navigate complex social politics and manage stress without becoming aggressive.
Probably our plains dwelling ancestor would regard the modern man in the way that a wild wolf regards a golden retriever.
Look into the Flynn effect btw, it contradicts claims of overall cognitive decline.
I do think cognitive potential has not been in decline. Perhaps it has just been so overwhelmed with focusing on many things that at one time would be trivial. Whether it is watching and betting on sports, playing video games, going to the movies, etc. We are increasingly distracted by our own worlds we create. You as a writer are likely aware of this and have been for a long time. I also make games, and at times had said the only negative is that to a degree it can be much like pedaling a new drug. It can be subjectively argued that is may not be damaging, but I still ponder such things as I create.
Relevant XKCD, just for the Idiocracy mention:
LOL, I hadn't seen that one.
The more I grow and self reflect internally, I honestly feel like human evolution already exists. I believe from what I have seen and felt that we reincarnate on here in 3D repeatedly until we truly embrace and surrender, and when our mission is complete we transcend. It isn't something that can really be right or wrong, it doesn't have a timeline, and we don't really have control over it. It's the lack of needing to control and the ability to truly accept every aspect of everything and everyone that we encounter on our journey and that inner peace allows the internal growth to finally comprehend and embrace ascension.
Yeah, I wasn't talking about it in a religious sense.
I was talking about it in an evolutionary survival of the fittest sense. Nothing in this post really to do with spirituality, the after life, etc.
That'd be a different topic for another day. ;)
Just the pure physical process and what occurs.
The ongoing "war" between religion and science is thankfully coming to an end. Both Darwin and Newton and others had beliefs that were metaphysical in nature. Darwin himself was quoted as saying [a man] "can be an ardent Theist and an evolutionist". And, with research of the quantum realm, it is becoming increasingly evident that mind, perception and vibration have an effect on if not plain compose "reality". Also still on the topic of mind over matter, the ability to effect ones own body as observed with the placebo effect etc. shows us we are far more in control of our well being than the pharmaceutical industrial complex would have us believe. Reductionism has it's place, it certainly makes things easier when dealing with the nuts and bolts aspect of life, however it neglects the subtle aspects of existence which lay in the realm of the mind, both microcosmic and macrocosmic (ultimately no distinction)... that's where the real interesting shit goes on.
I hear you on that, my thoughts just tend to be more along the lines that 3D evolution is irrelevant if a higher form of existence is the end goal. If that makes sense. Like maybe that evolution you are thinking of isn't going to be a physical state of change but a spiritual state of change.
FYI @dwinblood you just inspired me to start a new post/series (depending on what it turns into) along a similar thought process. You should check it out and see if any of it makes sense to you.
A lot of hypotheticals... so it'll probably make sense... I'll certainly check it out... especially if you reply here with a link to it in case I miss it for some reason.
https://steemit.com/theory/@clayboyn/theorizing-existence
I just posted something related to this.
My opinion we are inside nature and nature has its rules (being whatever is possible in the moment). It doesn't matter how we affect our own evolution from natures perspective as the rule is survive or not but it is indifferent to both.
I also think that while we advance in some areas we are devolving others. What this means for us as a species does not mean the same thing for nature. For all within the system is finite except for nature itself which is eternal.
As powerful as we get, we are always smaller than the overall system which inhabits the position of all there is. So stepping outside of it is not an option except in fantasy yet even the fantasy is limited by our limited view.