What Have We Learned from the Evolutionary Story?

Abstract

In this chapter we ask the questions: What have we learned from the evolutionary story? How does a reflection upon what we have learned help us to attain evolutionary consciousness? And: How may evolutionary consciousness lead us to engage in conscious evolution? To answer these questions, first, perspectives and propositions are introduced that build upon the core ideas we identified in Part I. Next, informed by these perspectives and propositions, three images are introduced that provide a summary characterization of the evolution of our species. In closing, a set of organizing principles is developed by a synthesis of the perspectives, propositions, and images. These principles, then, will be used to organize our thinking about the current state of societal evolution in Chapter 6.