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Knol

Evolution of Social Ecosystems

Multi-level selection as an evolutionary process suggests that the ascendance and continuance of various social ecosystems should derive from natural selection preference for the groups and the mechanisms they present, as well as an enhancement of the natural selection preference for the characteristics of the individuals within these groups. At least some of the beneficial characteristics of both groups and individuals are expected to arise from the ontogenetic development, that is the development of one generation, of the individual members of the species, while other of the beneficial characteristics should arise from the phylogenetic processes, that is processes covering several subsequent generations, that emanate as a result of the interaction of individuals within the ecosystems; from the various grouping mechanisms themselves. Based on a survey of current literature in many domains, including archeology, cognitive science, economy, literature, mathematics, psychology and sociology, we have assembled a metaphorical characterization of the processes that have resulted from the evolution of both humans and their social ecosystems. We term this model pretergenesis, adopting the term from a group-specific extension of the process called epigenesis. While epigenesis characterizes the development of the embryonic individual through a process of successive differentiation, resulting ultimately in the adult individual, pretergenesis illustrates through a series of metaphorical descriptors, the processes that have driven the evolutionary development of the social ecosystems themselves.

The model builds a framework based on the evolutionary progression of the essential characteristics of human multi-level processes. As the species has evolved, people have participated in ever larger and more complex social environments, with their resulting grouping mechanisms, where each successive level draws its strengths from the within-group and among-group processes of its own and surrounding levels. The full range of the represented social ecosystems is found in the current world, suggesting that these levels can either naturally co-exist, or that the conflict of natural selection is still at play. Most likely, the correct assessment contains a bit of both.

A couple of chapters back, we recognized the model of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as the basis for interaction stimuli involving humans. The evolutionary progression of species development has given rise to this hierarchy as the foundation of human behavior. Thus, the hierarchy is essentially an illustration of natural selection that resulted in the emergence of a progression of physiological characteristics of the individual person. The following table suggests a series of such characteristics that can be associated with the succession of needs. We should note that the various indicated characteristics always act in a cumulative fashion to meet the body’s needs. Successive evolutionary developments may give rise to new needs, but they may also, in parallel, help to satisfy previously expressed needs. The development of an emotional system helped in the struggle to meet physiological needs as well as to express and then satisfy a whole new set of needs, specifically including that of belonging. In fact, it was likely the emergence of the emotional system that formed the springboard for the need of belonging in the first place.

So, we observe that the most basic of needs, physiological needs, are a detailed reflection of organic physiology. As we’ve noted previously, the requirements that the body has for sustenance evoke a variety of appetite indicators that provide a macroscopic signal of the need. Thus, when the body wants for air, a reflexive action to breath is stimulated. When we want for water, thirst stimulates our actions toward finding drink.

The second level of needs, those of safety and security, were likely salved by the rise of reflexive facilities that serve to take us more quickly out of harms way. The emergence of the emotional

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