03.02.10
‘Conscious evolution’ and its confusions
Join the real Darwin debate — on the 12 theories of evolution
The list of alternate theories is hardly coherent, and the issue of ‘conscious evolution’ is one of these. It raises an immensely important question, how did ‘consciousness’ evolve, and we don’t know, and it is misleading for New Agers, however well-intentioned to try and claim that their systems generate ‘evolution’ or ‘conscious evolution’.
That needs a long discussion. But the problem is the appropriation of the word ‘evolution’ for spiritual practices, and that is not present in the ancient traditions they tend to think they are using.
To call the path of enlightenment ‘conscious evolution’ is a confusion of terms.
The final cohort of evolutionary theories creatively melds elements of both science and spirituality.
The schools of thought in this category embrace both science and metaphysics in the name of developing a new synthesis on evolution. I’m drawn to how they discern both chance and purpose in the universe.
One of these evolutionary theories, “conscious evolution,” is based on the work of rebel Jesuit paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. It proposes that humans are called to evolve in self-awareness. It has inspired everyone from Al Gore and Marshall McLuhan to Brian Swimme and Barbara Max Hubbard.
The Gurdjieff Con » ‘Conscious evolution’ and its confusions said,
March 2, 2010 at 3:35 pm
[...] ‘Conscious evolution’ and its confusions This consideration is prime for this blog, and Gurdjieff’s references to ‘evolution’ are misleading, as usual. [...]
Solar Hero said,
March 10, 2010 at 5:03 pm
Right about Teillard (I’ve worked closely with Marx-Hubbard and Swimme) but also note that Sri Aurobindo also appropriates evolution into “spirituality.” They are the East and West of Conscious Evolution.