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Evolutionary Theory Conclusion and Directions for Further Inquiry Because the individual presentations at this conference were so rich with information, there was not as much time allotted for general discussion as there will be at future gatherings. Nonetheless, a number of ideas were expressed at the end of the conference hinting at where future inquiry into the subject of evolutionary theory might be headed.Many participants agreed that the study of consciousness will be of central importance in the coming years. Numerous questions about its nature linger: What is consciousness? Who and/or what has it? How does it arise? What laws govern it? How does it relate to the evolutionary process? Another issue discussed during the concluding session was the nature of the so-called “cosmic coincidences” or “close calls.” Some consider the high number of these hinge moments in the universe as indicators of the so-called anthropic principle, which postulates that in some measure the universe was created specifically for humans to emerge. This may be an avenue for inquiry at next year’s meeting. Other participants pointed out the need for evolutionary theory to address the question of what is a good society. How can evolutionary theory spawn positive social change? Furthermore, one issue discussed briefly was what would the effect be of ranking cultures according to an evolutionary scale? Would this facilitate harmony and understanding or racism? Some participants expressed a desire for next year’s conference to look more closely at what patterns and principles of evolution span all the domains of existence: physical, biological, cultural, and spiritual? Are there commonalities across these domains? If so, what lessons can we learn from them? If order emerges from chaos at the level of physics, is this the case in the evolution of cultures? How do the “lower” levels of physics and biology apply, if at all, to the higher levels of culture and spirit? Lastly, some participants brought up the issue of what drives evolution. Does it have a telos? Or at the very least a directionality to it? Some felt that there is a clear pattern hinting at the emergence of greater complexity, while others emphasized that the only way to explain evolution is in terms of the unfolding of divine beauty. In the end, although there were more questions than answers, all present were enlivened by this initial collaborative engagement and looked forward to continuing this inquiry into the nature and revelations of evolutionary theory.
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