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In recent years, evolutionary theorists
have come to recognize that the reductionist, individualistic,
gene-centered approach to evolution cannot sufficiently
account for the emergence of complex biological systems
over time. Peter A. Corning has been at the forefront of
a new generation of complexity theorists who have been working
to reshape the foundations of evolutionary theory. Well
known for his Synergism Hypothesis -- a theory of complexity
in evolution, that assigns a key causal role to various
forms of functional synergy -- Corning puts this theory
into a much broader framework in Holistic Darwinism,
addressing many of the issues and concepts associated with
the evolution of complex systems. Corning's paradigm embraces
and integrates many related theoretical developments of
recent years, from multilevel selection theory to niche
construction theory, gene-culture coevolution theory, and
theories of self-organization. Offering new approaches to
thermodynamics, information theory, and economic analysis,
Corning suggests how all of these domains can be brought
firmly within what he characterizes as a post-neo-Darwinian
evolutionary synthesis.
Peter A. Corning is director of the Institute
for the Study of Complex Systems. He is the author of The
Synergism Hypothesis and Nature's Magic among
other books.
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