In the last two hundred years, the character of our evolution has been affected by acceleration in the rate of change and the very context of our lives. Will the pace of this change spiral us forward into chaos? The industrial revolution consistently doubled our supply of energy every so many years. The transistor’s capacity also doubled in even less time. Our communication networks have merged into an interconnected net allowing worldwide access to devices as small as personal iPhones or as large as super computers. But, at the same time, our technological advances have impacted our biological evolution in ways that we are just beginning to understand. There are hydrocarbons in the air we breathe; chemical toxins in the food we eat; and microwaves bombarding every cell in our body. The biosphere upon which all life depends is stressed by the onslaught of global warming, the desalination of our oceans, the pollution of our inland water ways, and the depletion of arable land. When Darwin first raised the issue of evolution, he was solely focused upon biological evolution. His thesis of natural selection–i.e., the survival of those best adapted to environmental conditions–could not predict the environment we humans have helped create by the 21st century. In fact, his theory of adapted evolution, we now know, cannot fully explain the evolution of Homo sapiens—modern probability/statistical analysis and the fossil gaps in our evolutionary record have qualified its central thesis. There is more than “survival of the fittest” involved in our evolution if we humans do indeed change the context of that evolution. In fact, we are in some measure agents of that evolution. So what can we do with this awesome power to control our species’ destiny?

First, I think we have to relook at the discontinuity in our development and evaluate its impact upon our evolution. Obviously, a full evaluation of this matter would involve volumes. So forgive me for abbreviating this history with just a few examples. (Though “brevity may be the soul of wit,” in this case it is an excuse for both the limitations of this medium and of the author.) Let’s begin with the introduction of new meaning into the lives of our ancestors. What was the impact of the discovery of fire, the heliocentric solar system, the new calculus, the atom, the genetic structure of living organisms, quantum physics, and so on? Did not these discoveries change perspective and require new adaptations to our environment? To continue, how did our feelings evolve and impact our development when affected by Gregorian chant, Beethoven, Bach, Michelangelo, Rafael, Picasso, Blake, Wordsworth, Shakespeare, Joyce, and so on? And, finally, what new insight was introduced into our value system by the contributions of Jesus Christ, Guatama Buddha, Mohammed, and more recently, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, and Mandela? Certainly, our values affect the goals we seek and the very nature of our interface with our environment. My point is simple: our evolution as a species has a mental, emotional, and spiritual dimension that is interwoven with the physical and genetic. In fact, our development has had many discontinuous leaps forward, unexplained by random genetic mutations and natural selection, but wholly consistent with the serendipitous breakthroughs of new insight, the collective surge of new sentiments, or the unexpected expansion of our moral boundaries. These advancements of the more subtle parts of the human psyche have transformed the nature and the context of our lives—both our custodianship of and adaptation to the environment. In other words, we transform ourselves and the world in a circular causal feedback loop.

Secondly, I feel we have to reevaluate the role of this personal transformation. Whereas Descartes and Newton triggered the Age of Enlightenment, Hitler invoked our potential for depravity and brutality. For most of us, our individual lifespan will not be writ on such a large stage. Yet the people in our history books lived personal lives not dissimilar to ours. Our achievements and failures affect the lives of those around us just the same. History consistently tells us that innovation and the most significant, lasting changes come from the likes of any one of us. What makes some individuals purveyors of positive transformations and others, of negative regressions in human development? Newton allegedly intuited the force of gravity when an apple fell from a tree. Gandhi, a lawyer for the downtrodden, became overwhelmed by the injustice suffered by Indians at the hands of a colonial power. Both men passionately pursued their insights, transformed themselves, and contributed to their posterity. Neither sought personal gain or power over others. They, like all men and women so inspired, recognized that the fruit of their short lifespans cannot be seized solely for themselves, but mainly for those who followed after them. Our individual success persists only for those who succeed us. Coincidently, wise men and women through the ages have told us this simple truth. It remains for each of us to apply it to our personal lives. Human evolution depends upon our individual transformation in mind, in feeling, and in values. Otherwise, nothing worthy of our short time on this planet will be left for future generations; and our personal lives will lack both passion and purpose.