The Origins of Order: Self Organization and Selection in Evolution

This monograph extends the basic concepts of Darwinian evolution to accommodate recent findings and perspectives from the fields of biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics. The book drives to the heart of the debate on the origins of life and the maintenance of order in complex biological systems. It focuses on the concept of self-organization — the first time this concept has been incorporated into evolutionary theory. The author shows how complex systems, contrary to expectations, can spontaneously exhibit stunning degrees of order, and how this order in turn is essential for the emergence and development of life on Earth.