A Panpsychist Interpretation of Evolutionary Theory

Ferhat Onur

Makale detayları

A Panpsychist Interpretation of Evolutionary Theory

Yazarlar:

Ferhat Onur

Yayıncı:

Hitit University

Ana Başlıklar:

Sistematik Felsefe (Diğer)

Dergi:

Hitit İlahiyat Dergisi Vol.23 Issue 2, pp.633-655

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

12/2024

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001336419

pISSN:

2757-6949

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 If there is a questionable element in the theory of evolution, it is likely the randomness of mutations, which is seen as the primary source of evolutionary change. The idea that errors in DNA sequences are the source of species change does not seem acceptable to many scientists and philosophers. According to them, adaptive evolution, which suggests that some mutations occur purposefully, is possible. Both views seem scientifically supportable. However, science typically excludes purposes, especially due to their implications of the supernatural. So, the philosophical problem here concerns which metaphysical framework would better explain a natural world in which purposes are at work, assuming that adaptive evolution is real. In this article, I propose panpsychism as a candidate for such an explanation. Although panpsychism is a well-known metaphysical view, it has rarely been associated with evolution. Panpsychism simply states that all actual natural entities possess some form of mentality that is intrinsic to matter. Mentality must be present at the most fundamental level of existence to manifest in any higher-level form. This idea of panpsychism that mentality develops gradually is already compatible with the traditional view of evolution that species change slowly and incrementally by small steps. Nevertheless the adaptive evolution hypothesis demands more. The idea that organisms can alter their own DNA in response to environmental conditions implies that this process occurs voluntarily in a controlled manner. However, adaptation does not always occur voluntarily, and such an understanding becomes difficult to accept as it attributes higher-level cognitive functions, such as choosing, will, and decision-making, to cells and molecules. Thus, a more naturalistic approach is needed. Panpsychism can take many forms such as dualistic panpsychism or idealistic panpsychism. I suggest dual-aspect panpsychism as a wholly naturalistic version of this concept. Accordingly, mentality and physicality are two aspects of the same thing or stuff. Just as there is no mental causation from the mental to the physical, there is no physical causation from the physical to the mental. There are processes or events that manifest as physical happenings when observed from the outside and as mental happenings when experienced from the inside. Along with an interpretation of dual-aspect panpsychism that is compatible with physicalism, when we accept that the most plausible way to extend mentality to all actual entities is to think of it as intentionality, it may become even more easier to situate adaptive evolution within a naturalistic framework. Non-random mutations do not occur as mental acts of choice but arise from the organisms behavior being about or directed towards selective environmental conditions for the purpose of ensuring survival. The article consists of two main parts. The first part seeks to establish the possibility that some mutations may not be random on a scientific-philosophical basis. The second part aims to show the compatibility of this possibility with dual-aspect panpsychism. As a result, it is hoped that an acceptable interpretation of evolutionary theory, combined with a naturalistic interpretation of panpsychism, will result in a fruitful synthesis that explains the seemingly purposeful actions of cells and organisms.

 If there is a questionable element in the theory of evolution, it is likely the randomness of mutations, which is seen as the primary source of evolutionary change. The idea that errors in DNA sequences are the source of species change does not seem acceptable to many scientists and philosophers. According to them, adaptive evolution, which suggests that some mutations occur purposefully, is possible. Both views seem scientifically supportable. However, science typically excludes purposes, especially due to their implications of the supernatural. So, the philosophical problem here concerns which metaphysical framework would better explain a natural world in which purposes are at work, assuming that adaptive evolution is real. In this article, I propose panpsychism as a candidate for such an explanation. Although panpsychism is a well-known metaphysical view, it has rarely been associated with evolution. Panpsychism simply states that all actual natural entities possess some form of mentality that is intrinsic to matter. Mentality must be present at the most fundamental level of existence to manifest in any higher-level form. This idea of panpsychism that mentality develops gradually is already compatible with the traditional view of evolution that species change slowly and incrementally by small steps. Nevertheless the adaptive evolution hypothesis demands more. The idea that organisms can alter their own DNA in response to environmental conditions implies that this process occurs voluntarily in a controlled manner. However, adaptation does not always occur voluntarily, and such an understanding becomes difficult to accept as it attributes higher-level cognitive functions, such as choosing, will, and decision-making, to cells and molecules. Thus, a more naturalistic approach is needed. Panpsychism can take many forms such as dualistic panpsychism or idealistic panpsychism. I suggest dual-aspect panpsychism as a wholly naturalistic version of this concept. Accordingly, mentality and physicality are two aspects of the same thing or stuff. Just as there is no mental causation from the mental to the physical, there is no physical causation from the physical to the mental. There are processes or events that manifest as physical happenings when observed from the outside and as mental happenings when experienced from the inside. Along with an interpretation of dual-aspect panpsychism that is compatible with physicalism, when we accept that the most plausible way to extend mentality to all actual entities is to think of it as intentionality, it may become even more easier to situate adaptive evolution within a naturalistic framework. Non-random mutations do not occur as mental acts of choice but arise from the organisms behavior being about or directed towards selective environmental conditions for the purpose of ensuring survival. The article consists of two main parts. The first part seeks to establish the possibility that some mutations may not be random on a scientific-philosophical basis. The second part aims to show the compatibility of this possibility with dual-aspect panpsychism. As a result, it is hoped that an acceptable interpretation of evolutionary theory, combined with a naturalistic interpretation of panpsychism, will result in a fruitful synthesis that explains the seemingly purposeful actions of cells and organisms.

 If there is a questionable element in the theory of evolution, it is likely the randomness of mutations, which is seen as the primary source of evolutionary change. The idea that errors in DNA sequences are the source of species change does not seem acceptable to many scientists and philosophers. According to them, adaptive evolution, which suggests that some mutations occur purposefully, is possible. Both views seem scientifically supportable. However, science typically excludes purposes, especially due to their implications of the supernatural. So, the philosophical problem here concerns which metaphysical framework would better explain a natural world in which purposes are at work, assuming that adaptive evolution is real. In this article, I propose panpsychism as a candidate for such an explanation. Although panpsychism is a well-known metaphysical view, it has rarely been associated with evolution. Panpsychism simply states that all actual natural entities possess some form of mentality that is intrinsic to matter. Mentality must be present at the most fundamental level of existence to manifest in any higher-level form. This idea of panpsychism that mentality develops gradually is already compatible with the traditional view of evolution that species change slowly and incrementally by small steps. Nevertheless the adaptive evolution hypothesis demands more. The idea that organisms can alter their own DNA in response to environmental conditions implies that this process occurs voluntarily in a controlled manner. However, adaptation does not always occur voluntarily, and such an understanding becomes difficult to accept as it attributes higher-level cognitive functions, such as choosing, will, and decision-making, to cells and molecules. Thus, a more naturalistic approach is needed. Panpsychism can take many forms such as dualistic panpsychism or idealistic panpsychism. I suggest dual-aspect panpsychism as a wholly naturalistic version of this concept. Accordingly, mentality and physicality are two aspects of the same thing or stuff. Just as there is no mental causation from the mental to the physical, there is no physical causation from the physical to the mental. There are processes or events that manifest as physical happenings when observed from the outside and as mental happenings when experienced from the inside. Along with an interpretation of dual-aspect panpsychism that is compatible with physicalism, when we accept that the most plausible way to extend mentality to all actual entities is to think of it as intentionality, it may become even more easier to situate adaptive evolution within a naturalistic framework. Non-random mutations do not occur as mental acts of choice but arise from the organisms behavior being about or directed towards selective environmental conditions for the purpose of ensuring survival. The article consists of two main parts. The first part seeks to establish the possibility that some mutations may not be random on a scientific-philosophical basis. The second part aims to show the compatibility of this possibility with dual-aspect panpsychism. As a result, it is hoped that an acceptable interpretation of evolutionary theory, combined with a naturalistic interpretation of panpsychism, will result in a fruitful synthesis that explains the seemingly purposeful actions of cells and organisms.

 Evrim teorisiyle ilgili şüphe uyandırıcı bir unsurdan söz edilecekse, muhtemelen bu, evrimin yakıtı olarak görülebilecek mutasyonların rastgeleliği olurdu. DNA dizilimlerindeki hataların tür değişiminin kaynağı olduğu fikri, birçok bilim insanı ve filozof için kabul edilebilir görünmüyor. Onlara göre, bazı mutasyonların amaçlı gerçekleştiğini bildiren adaptif evrim olanaklıdır. Her iki görüş de bilimsel olarak desteklenebilir görünmektedir. Ancak bilim, doğaüstü güçleri ima ettiğinden ötürü genellikle amaçları dışlar. Doğal olayları açıklayıcı bir kavram olarak teleoloji, bilimsel jargonda kendine yer bulamaz. Dolayısıyla, adaptif evrimin gerçek olduğunu varsaydığımızda, burada söz konusu olan felsefi problem, hangi metafiziksel çerçevenin amaçların yürürlükte olduğu bir doğal dünyayı daha iyi açıklayacağı hakkındadır. Zira adaptif evrim gerçekse, felsefi spekülasyona kapı aralanmış olacaktır. Bu makalede, aday olarak panpsişizmi öneriyorum. Panpsişizm iyi bilinen bir metafizik görüş olsa da, evrimle nadiren ilişkilendirilmiştir. Panpsişizm, basitçe söylenecek olursa, tüm aktüel doğal varlıkların, maddeye içkin olan bir tür zihinselliğe sahip olduklarını ifade eder. Panpsişizme göre, zihinselliğin herhangi bir üst-düzey formda hayvan veya insan zihni gibi ortaya çıkması için, varlığın en temel düzeyinde dahi zihinsellik yer almalıdır. Panpsişizmin bu zihinselliğin kademeli olarak geliştiği fikri, türlerin yavaş ve küçük adımlarla değiştiği şeklindeki geleneksel evrim görüşü ile halihazırda uyumludur. Ancak adaptif evrim hipotezi daha fazlasını talep etmektedir. Organizmanın çevresel koşullara yanıt olarak kendi DNAsını değiştirebileceği fikri, bu sürecin kontrol altında, isteğe bağlı olarak gerçekleştiğini ima etmektedir. Ancak adaptasyon her zaman isteğe bağlı olarak gerçekleşmediği gibi, böylesi bir anlayış, seçme, irade etme, karar verme gibi üst-düzey bilişsel işlevleri veya edimleri hücrelere ve moleküllere atfettiğinden kabul edilmesi güç bir hal almaktadır. Bu nedenle söz konusu güçlüğün aşılmasını gerektirmeyen daha natüralist bir yaklaşıma ihtiyaç vardır. Panpsişizm, düalist panpsişizm veya idealist panpsişizm gibi çeşitli biçimlerde olabilir. Bu çalışmada bu kavramın tamamen natüralist bir versiyonu olarak çift-yön panpsişizmi öneriyorum. Buna göre, zihinsellik ve fiziksellik aynı şeyin veya maddenin iki yönü veya veçhesidir. Bu görüşte, zihinselden fiziksele zihinsel nedensellik olmadığı gibi, fizikselden zihinsele fiziksel nedensellik de yoktur. Dışarıdan gözlemlendiğinde fiziksel, içeriden deneyimlendiğinde zihinsel olarak ortaya çıkan süreçler veya olaylar vardır. Fizikalizmle uyumlu çift-yön panpsişizmin bir yorumuyla birlikte, zihinselliğin tüm aktüel varlıklara genişletilmesinin en makul yolunun onu yönelimsellik olarak düşünmekten geçtiğini kabul ettiğimizde, adaptif evrimi natüralist bir çerçeveye yerleştirmek daha da kolay olabilir. Rastgele olmayan mutasyonlar, zihinsel birer edim olarak bir seçim şeklinde gerçekleşmemekte, organizmanın hayatta kalımını sağlamak adına davranışının seçici çevresel koşullar hakkında veya onlara yönelik olması sonucu ortaya çıkmaktadır. Makale iki ana bölümden oluşmaktadır. İlk bölüm, bazı mutasyonların rastgele olmayabileceği olasılığını bilimsel-felsefi bir temelde ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Mutasyonların rastgele olduğunu gösteren deneyler olduğu gibi aksi yönde bulgular da vardır. Felsefi açıdan bu bulguların illa doğada bir teleoloji olduğu şeklinde yorumlanmak zorunda olmadığını bildiren alternatif görüşlerin varlığı ileri sürülecektir. İkinci bölüm ise, mutasyonların rastgele olmayabileceği olasılığın çift-yön panpsişizm ile uyumluluğunu göstermeyi hedeflemektedir. Çift-yön panpsişizm bir yandan doğaüstü kaynaklı her türlü amaç düşüncesini dışlarken öte yandan amaçlılığı maddeye etki edebilen bir zihinsel güce bağlayan felsefi teorilerden farklı bir çizgiye oturabilmekte, böylece fiziksel ve doğalcı bir anlayışla bağdaşabilmektedir. Sonuç itibarıyla, evrim teorisinin kabul edilebilir bir yorumuyla, panpsişizmin natüralist bir yorumunun, hücre ve organizmaların amaçlı görünen eylemlerini açıklayan verimli bir birliktelikle sonuçlanması umulmaktadır.

Makale detayları

A Panpsychist Interpretation of Evolutionary Theory

Yazarlar:

Ferhat Onur

Yayıncı:

Hitit University

Ana Başlıklar:

Sistematik Felsefe (Diğer)

Dergi:

Hitit İlahiyat Dergisi Vol.23 Issue 2, pp.633-655

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

12/2024

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001336419

pISSN:

2757-6949

Metaphysics

Panpsychism

Dual-Aspect Panpsychism

Evolution

Adaptive Evolution

Directed Evolution.Metafizik

Panpsişizm

Çift-Yön Panpsişizm

Evrim

Adaptif Evrim

Yönlendirilmiş Evrim

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Ferhat Onur

Yayıncı: Hitit University

Ana Başlıklar: Sistematik Felsefe (Diğer)

Dergi: Hitit İlahiyat Dergisi Vol.23 Issue 2, pp.633-655

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 12/2024

Belge Dili: İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.): 2001336419

pISSN: 2757-6949

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Ferhat Onur

Yayıncı:

Hitit University

Ana Başlıklar:

Sistematik Felsefe (Diğer)

Dergi:

Hitit İlahiyat Dergisi Vol.23 Issue 2, pp.633-655

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

12/2024

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001336419

pISSN:

2757-6949