Guiding Our Evolution: If We Don't Do It, Who Will?

Guiding
Our
Evolution
If we don’t do
it, who will?
by
Bela H. Banathy &
Gordon Rowland
Guiding Our Evolution
Copyright 2004 by Bela H. Banathy & Gordon Rowland

Banathy & Rowland
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Why worry?
3. Where did we come from?
4. Where are we going?
5. Can I make a difference?
6. How can we create the future?
7. Conclusion
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1. Introduction
What do you think is the most significant discovery that

humans have ever made? Was it the fact that the Earth is round or
that it moved around the Sun? How about the greatest invention?
Was it the wheel?the printing press? the computer?
The greatest discovery thus far is how we human beings

evolved over millions of years to be the way we are. The greatest
invention will be ourselves – the next generation human being.
~~~~~~~
This book is about the past, the present, and the future. We
ask where humans came from and who we have become. We
reflect on where we might go and on the decisions we face in
doing so.We ask these questions at a crucial moment in human
history.
Ours is a time of wonder and excitement. We live in a time

when the possibilities of our lifetimes are beyond our parents’
dreams. But these possibilities are not all positive. We’ve learned
that our actions can cause great harm. More than ever before, the
choices we make today will either open or close the future of
humanity. It’s up to us!
2. Why worry?
This is the most heinous of crimes

This is the deadliest of sins
The greatest violation of all times
Mother of us all
Place of our birth
We are all witness to the rape of the world
Tracy Chapman
The sky is falling

Chicken Little
Every day we hear someone say that actions proposed by

governments and businesses will cause harm. We hear that the
environment will be damaged or that the economy will suffer.
We’re told that freedoms are in jeopardy or that morality has
collapsed. Every now and then someone will even claim that the
world is about to end.
How many times have we heard such warnings, then found

things to be okay? It seems that fear of the unknown continually
drives some of us to see doom just over the horizon. We look at a
new development, like a new technology or a proposed change in
governmental policy, and we imagine the worst outcomes to which
it might lead. Then when those outcomes don’t happen we do the
same thing when the next one comes along.
So why should we pay any attention to those who claim that

today’s social and environmental problems are critical? When so
many predictions of doom have proven false, some even silly, why
should we listen? Why should we worry?
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We should worry because we’re starting to get it and what we

get tells us that the world is in trouble and it’s our fault. We’ve
made huge leaps in our understanding of how the world works.
That understanding reveals clear signs that the paths we are taking
are leading to social and environmental problems on a scale greater
than at any previous time in history. We now understand why other
doomsday predictions didn’t come true, but, at the same time, we
understand why it is almost inevitable that we will run into the
hazards ahead if we don’t change course.
Sure, we can debate about the severity and timetable of

global warming. We can claim that ice melting at the poles is part
of a natural cycle. We can frown at the danger of nanotechnology
replicating itself and wiping out all other life. But there are
fundamental changes happening on the planet that cannot be
disputed. The human population is growing exponentially and
much faster than we can increase our food supply. Plant and
animal species are disappearing forever at an enormous rate,
primarily because our actions have changed their habitats faster
than they can adapt. These are facts that we cannot escape from.
We need to worry because our world is threatened and our
actions—what each and every one of us does or does not do on a
daily basis—are to blame.
Consequently, we face some hard choices. We can bet that

future developments in science and technology will solve our
problems before it’s too late—they’ve done it before. We can leave
things to the “experts” in government, business and industry—
that’s what they’re paid for. We can plead ignorance and carry on
as if there were nothing to fear—isn’t life tough enough already?
But our developments in science and technology have leapt past
the social and ethical developments necessary to control them. Our
“experts” have proven themselves ignorant of consequences
outside the domains of their expertise. And we cannot pretend that
the forces we’ve set in motion will stop themselves if we look
away. Instead, our only reasonable choice is to take charge—to

change the directions we’re heading through individual and
collective action.
This book is about how we can make these changes and how
we can create a future that we desire. We’ll look at how we
humans came to be the way we are, where present paths are taking
us, what forces seem to be at work, and how and where we can
make a difference. We’ll try to do this by responding to a series of
simple, yet powerful questions. The first is “Why worry?” or
perhaps “What’s in it for me?” The answer is that this is a critical
time in history. Now more than ever before, the understandings
we’ve acquired and the power we’ve gained to influence global
events place the future of our species and our world squarely on
our shoulders.
Here is another way to put it. We’re facing a new reality, one
of massive societal changes that touch the lives of every
individual, community, and nation. This new reality raises
questions: Are we only spectators of these changes? Are we
destined to be their victims? Do we have to leave decisions
affecting our lives to others? Are we at the mercy of "social
engineers" and politicians who design systems and laws for us?
The answer we will develop in this book is a resounding NO.
To get started, here are the two basic concepts we will work
with: evolutionary consciousness and conscious evolution.
Evolutionary consciousness – knowing about change

Whether we choose to believe in a creator or not, we have to
accept the fact that we are not today what we once were. There is
abundant evidence and wide agreement that the human species has
evolved over time, both biologically and culturally. Our bones and
posture are different than they were millions of years ago. The
ways we relate and communicate with one another and the things
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we do are different as well.
Until recently, this evolutionary process was very slow.

Migration and climate changes resulted in physical adaptation
(changes in our bodies) and influenced how we behaved. New
materials and tools were introduced that changed how food was
gathered or cultivated. But these changes happened over
thousands, even millions of years. Not so anymore.
In the past few centuries there has been an enormous shift in

the speed and nature of change. For example, because of recent
advances in medicine we are physically larger and live longer than
ever before, and this has happened over decades rather than
thousands of years. In fact, the forces driving change have now
become cultural rather than biological. We’re changing the nature
of our species by how we choose to live, more so than by any
process of biological adaptation or selection. We’re even asking
the question whether life is purely biological. For example, could a
human consciousness take non-human form and reside in a
machine?
There are several key concepts that are important to

understanding evolution. We’ll introduce two here. First is the fact
that everything relates. We are part of a large whole, and change in
any part affects others. For example, a drought in one area of the
world, an earthquake in another, a shift in the jet stream over North
America, a warming of an undersea current in the Pacific Ocean, a
decision to drain some of Lake Superior to raise the water level
elsewhere, a set of dams backing up a river so that power can be
generated. These are all related. As are the motions of the sun,
earth and moon. As are the actions we take on a daily basis and
their consequences for each other and our environment.
When we choose to farm in a particular way and to plant

certain crops we change the soil, which changes the quality of the
water running through, which changes the content of the stream

into which the water flows, which changes the life the stream can
support. Choosing what to plant also changes what products will
be available at market at what price, which influences what and
how much consumers will purchase, which influences what
forecasters see as economic trends, which influences investment
and the interest rate on the loan to buy the seeds in the first place.
When we drive a gasoline-powered automobile we support

an industry based on the extraction of a non-renewable energy
source, we change the quality of the air, which effects our own
health and that of the oxygen-producing plants we rely upon.
When we take a drug we alter the chemical balance of our body,
which influences how we think and act, which changes how we
relate to others. When we pay attention to the speed limit or when
we smoke a cigarette. When we recycle a bottle or when we make
fun of someone just because he or she is different. Everything has
an effect on something else, which has an effect on something else,
and so on.
We can capture and better understand these sorts of

interrelationships by identifying systems. We can speak of
ecosystems to understand relationships in an environment. We can
organize our bones into a skeletal system and our brain and nerves
into a nervous system. We can say that certain parts of a car are in
the fuel system while others are parts of the electrical system. We
can even refer to the base-ten method of counting as a number
system.
This can be very useful. For example, seeing how things

relate as parts of systems can help us troubleshoot problems. But
it’s important to realize that what we call a system depends on how
we look at it and why we do the looking. For a restaurant owner, a
car can be a way to deliver pizzas (part of a transportation system).
To a car dealer or gas station owner it is a source of income (part
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of an economic system). To police it represents a way to patrol a

community and respond quickly to reports (part of a security
system, relying on a communication system). We are the ones who
make systems by calling them systems. And when we do so, we
risk missing relationships that don’t seem important to the purpose
we have in mind. For example, we may think we can improve a
system by making a change in a part, only to find out afterward
that the part we changed had an important role elsewhere.
This is understandable since we can’t see all connections and

we can’t keep everything in mind at once. The important point to
remember is that as hard as we try, and as good as our
understanding gets, our actions will still often have consequences
beyond what we imagine. Everything relates.
A second concept that is important to understanding

evolution is diversity. Yes, we know. You hear the term diversity
thrown about all the time. Our companies are supposed to seek
diversity in hiring employees. Our schools are supposed to support
diversity of ideas. People setting aside money for the future are
told that it’s important to diversify their investments.
But why is diversity so important? It’s not just political

correctness. It turns out that both natural systems like ecosystems,
and human-made systems like communities and organizations,
depend on diversity to survive and develop. Following what is
called the law of requisite variety, a system can adapt to change
only when it has enough variety in its parts. If all the parts are the
same—if they look the same and do the same things—then
adapting to a change in the environment would require every single
part to change at the same time. That’s impossible. And the
environment is constantly changing! So a business trying to
diversify its workforce, or a school looking to diversify its faculty
or student body, may be responding to political pressure. But in the
long run this same action proves essential to its survival.
We are describing these principles because many of our

actions over the past decades, whether they were individual habits,
business practices, or governmental policies, violate them! We take
actions that ignore the interdependent nature of the world. As a
result, our actions have unexpected and, in many cases, dangerous
consequences. We reduce rather than encourage diversity. For
example, we allow the consolidation of power and wealth on a
global scale and, therefore, reduce the ability of social and
economic systems to adapt and survive. By gaining great influence
and seeing the profound consequences of our actions, we have
found out how little we understood about the world as we took
these actions in the past. Now we understand them and have the
opportunity to change.
Conscious evolution — changing on purpose

Evolutionary consciousness means that we understand how
things change by evolutionary processes. Conscious evolution
means that we use this understanding to purposely direct how
change occurs. We seem to be on the brink of doing this
biologically. For example, we’ve gained the ability to make
identical copies of animals by cloning, and we’re learning how to
grow replacement parts for humans in other animals. If we choose
to support their development, changes that “improve” the human
species will be with us soon. We face serious ethical issues here.
On the other hand, we already have the ability to do this

culturally. We make choices that determine how we and others
live. We choose certain relationships. We choose the form of the
communities we live in. We create laws and bodies to enforce
them. We choose certain political and economic structures over
others. We create nations and boundaries. We develop
technologies to serve human purposes. And so on. Not every action
has significant consequences, and not everyone has the same
influence. But as a species we have much ability to change the
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conditions in which we live. We now evolve by choice, and this

has become a more powerful force for change than biology.
Our understanding of evolution combined with our ability to

influence its direction gives us great responsibility. We now know
that the future is up to us, and we can no longer pretend ignorance
in taking or not taking actions. Consequently, this is a critical time
in human history. History is full of examples of the resilience
(ability to bounce back) of humans and the earth. All the signs
indicate that such resilience now depends on us—on informed
human action.
So, should we worry? Yes we should. Is worrying enough?

Certainly not. We need to develop evolutionary consciousness,
then use this to consciously evolve. The next two chapters are
about evolutionary consciousness. Then Chapters 5 and 6 are about
conscious evolution. To get started, we ask “How did we get
here?”
Core Ideas of Chapter 2

2.1 We have gained an understanding of evolutionary processes.
We now know a lot about how we came to be the way we are.
2.2 We also know that change was gradual over many thousands of
years but recently has accelerated. The major evolutionary
forces have shifted from biological to cultural.
2.3 A key understanding is that everything relates. We are part of a
large whole. Seeing things as interdependent parts of wholes is
important. For example, it shows us how actions in one area
have consequences elsewhere.
2.4 We have also come to understand that further development
depends on diversity.
2.5 We have gained great influence on our world and realize that
we are causing harm. Our actions have caused environmental
and social crises so large that our survival is in question.
2.6 Combined, our understanding and influence give us great
responsibility—we now know that the future is up to us, and we

can no longer pretend ignorance in taking or not taking actions.
2.7 Consequently, this is a critical time in human history when
important choices need to be made.
Activities
Throughout the book we will suggest simple activities that will
enrich your understanding of the concepts and principles we
describe. We’ll try to make them simple, short, and fun, so we
hope you will give them a try. Here are a couple to get started.
A. Think of anything that happened to you in the last week. Ask

yourself what could have caused it to occur. Then ask what caused
those causes. Then ask what caused the causes of the causes.
Everything relates?
B. Pick up a newspaper and read any article about a governmental

body making some sort of decision. Ask yourself what would
happen if everyone in that body held the same opinions on all
issues. Is diversity necessary? Why?
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3. Where did we come from?
The time’s they are a changing

Bob Dylan
Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore

Dorothy
Who are we? Why are we here? Where did we come from?
These sorts of questions have likely been on our minds ever since
our species gained consciousness. The answer seems to depend on
whom you ask. Philosophers and early scientists up to the end of
th
the 18 century could only speculate. For example, they imagined
that the universe as a whole followed the life cycles they saw in
themselves and their environment. It was born, it grew, and it
would eventually die. Thinking positively, it would be followed by
another world that was more complex and more perfect. Other
people who did not interpret the Bible literally added the
possibility that animals that lived in the sea evolved to live on the
land.
th th
In the 19 and early 20 centuries scientists such as Alfred
Russell Wallace and Charles Darwin took this evolutionary
possibility as a starting point. From their observations of the world,
Wallace and Darwin guessed that plants and animals evolved
through a process called natural selection. They saw that plants
and animals around the world had somehow adapted themselves to
a remarkable range of environments, and suggested that this could
have happened by a gradual process in which slight variations were
inherited by the next generations. For example, a particular
characteristic might help a plant grow better in a certain climate,
and as a result this characteristic would be favored and passed
along to the next generations. It would be naturally selected over
other characteristics that were not as useful.

th
In the 20 century, scientists developed a far richer
understanding of evolutionary processes. They used new
techniques and technologies and were able to develop a clearer
picture of how our world and our species evolved. For example,
they discovered and carefully examined campsite remains, tools,
footprints, and DNA evidence to learn how early humans looked
and acted. Work by scientists such archeologists and
paleontologists continues to give us insights on where we came
from.
This chapter is about what these scientists have learned, but

before getting to that, it’s important to notice that our question asks
about us: Where did WE come from? We’re focusing on the
evolution of our species rather than evolution in general. If we
were to look at evolution in general, we’d need to go back fifteen
billion years to the formation of matter, twelve billion years to the
formation of the Milky Way galaxy, five billion years to the
stabilization of the physical and chemical structure of the earth,
and three and a half billion years to the origin of life on earth.
We’re picking up the story very late—only 5-7 million years

ago when our species split off from the ape family to become
human. This is one of three main evolutionary events we’ll
describe, the others being the emergence of Homo Sapiens Sapiens
or “modern human” about 35,000 years ago, and the recent
revolution that we will call conscious evolution.
Our early ancestors

Most scientists portray human evolution as a tree, with
branches from the trunk representing the development of different
species. Branches that end quickly represent variations that did not
survive. Branches that grow and split represent species that
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continued to adapt and survive. This splitting might be caused by a

species being isolated from others and thus developing in a
different way, or by some sort of unique adaptation, for example,
upright walking.
Starting from the tree trunk and moving upward (forward in

time), the first major branching occurred about five to seven
million years ago. The humanoid species called Australopithecus
Afarensis split off from the chimpanzees and began to walk on two
legs as a habit and to live on the ground rather than in the trees. We
do not yet have fossil evidence for the first few millions of years
following this split, so we’ll have to skip ahead.
Recently, scientists have found fossil evidence that over four

million years ago, our ancestors were indeed walking on two legs.
The climate had changed making trees more sparse, so
Australopithecus Afarensis had moved from the trees of the forest
to the open savanna. Scientists believe that humanoids made the
adaptation to stand on two legs because this made it easier to look
over the grass, to carry food and infants during their first years, and
to use tools. More importantly, this adaptation demonstrated
versatility, or the ability of our ancestors to adapt to changes in
their environment.
The next of our ancestors were Homo Habilis, appearing

around 2.5 million years ago and disappearing close to a million
years ago, and Homo Erectus, appearing around 1.7 million years
ago and disappearing around a half million years ago. Notice the
overlap, which is typical of evolutionary processes. Habilis and
Erectus lived on the earth at the same time for over half a million
years!
Homo Habilis may have been the first humanoid to use tools,
for example, stone hammers. Their brains were larger than
Australopithecus Afarensis, they lived in campsites and in kinship
groups, and they cooperated with each other, for example, to

nurture and protect their children.
Homo Erectus was larger than Habilis. In fact, Homo Erectus

was larger and stronger than modern humans. They could travel
long distances across the savanna, and they were the first
humanoid species to move beyond Africa. Evidence of Erectus has
been found as far apart as Great Britain and China. Living in an ice
age, Erectus constructed shelters, made clothing, and harnessed
fire. They scavenged food over wide ranges from temporary
homebases, they created tools that followed standard patterns, and
they cooked in pots. Their brains were again larger, and their
larynx (voice box) was halfway between where it is in apes and
modern humans. This suggests that they may have developed some
form of human-like speech. Erectus thus represents a clear
transition between an ape-like past and a human-like future.
The species that followed Erectus are, therefore, considered

more human. The first of these, called Archaic Sapiens, is our
direct ancestor. Archaic Sapiens emerged about 200,000 years ago,
began to migrate from southern Africa to Europe, Asia, and the
Americas about 100,000 years ago, then evolved into the modern
human (us) about 35,000 years ago. Archaic Sapiens developed
what might be seen as an early form of consciousness, a sense of
how they were separate from the rest of the world. They
communicated with one another through complex signs, and might
have acted on thoughts that went beyond instinct and habit. They
established home bases where infants could be nurtured, food
could be shared, the sick could rest, and so on. They likely did
some hunting but relied primarily on scavenging. They made a
variety of tools, and they were the first to prepare raw materials
from which other products could be made.
A second descendent of Erectus, not our direct ancestor

because of differing DNA, is called Homo Sapiens Neanderthal or
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simply Neanderthal. The Neanderthals are the basis for most of our
images of “cavemen.” They lived in caves and open-air shelters in
Europe and Asia during an ice age. They developed very strong
bones and muscles to survive in these inhospitable areas, and
bulbous noses to warm incoming air. They lacked the high rounded
foreheads, prominent chins, and other physical features of Archaic
Sapiens, and rather than in kinship groups like the Archaic
Sapiens, they lived in relative isolation from one another.
Surprisingly, they had larger brains than modern humans, but it’s
unclear to what use these were put. Neanderthal failed to change
over thousands of years and, as a result, became extinct about
35,000 years ago. Notice how these two things happened at the
same time. The Archaic Sapiens and Neanderthal lived together on
the earth for 65,000 years, but then as Archaic Sapiens evolved
into modern humans, the Neanderthal disappeared. One species
adapted and survived while the other did not.
Modern Humans – The First Generation

The first and most famous of our modern human ancestors is
the Cro-Magnon, whose intellectual, social, and technological
development was truly remarkable. While earlier species adapted
biologically over millions of years, the Cro-Magnon triggered the
cultural developments that we see in our lives today in just
thousands of years. They had brains identical in size to our own
and developed sophisticated speech symbols and language. They
cooperated with each other in kinship groups, and they traded
between tribes. They developed a wide variety of sophisticated
tools and other technologies—everything from fish hooks and
sewing needles to lamps and ceramics. They established story
telling traditions, worshiped multiple gods with rituals and
ceremonies, and created beautiful paintings, sculpture, and musical
instruments. Most importantly, these developments suggest that the
Cro-Magnon had developed the ability to step back and observe
themselves. They had developed the level of consciousness we
think of today when we say “human.” So, 35,000 years ago while
the Neanderthal failed to adapt and disappeared, the Archaic

Sapiens transformed into Cro-Magnon—into modern human.
The Second Generation

The Cro-Magnon represents the first of four generations of
modern humans. The second generation started about 10,000-
12,000 years ago with the beginning of the agricultural revolution.
Helped by a warming climate, we learned to cultivate the land and
produce food in nearby permanent homes, perhaps in agricultural
villages, rather than to continually travel to hunt and gather. We
created farming tools like plows and scythes, and clay vessels to
store food after the harvest. We learned to domesticate animals to
ease our burdens and to have a steady supply of meat. And we
developed more sophisticated languages with which to plan our
farming for the coming year.
We maintained this basic farming way of life for 6,000-7,000

years, but with improvements in technology, our small villages
were able to produce more food than they needed. This meant that
they could trade food for other goods produced by people engaged
in things other than farming. Thus the rise of occupations such as
merchants, traders, and artisans, and the gathering of people in
high-density settlements. Think about this for a moment. The
simple act of producing more food than needed was a major factor
in the rise of cities and major civilizations. (Because the majority
of people remained living in small farming villages, and it was
these villages that made life in the cities possible, we’ll talk about
the rise of the cities as part of the same generation.)
Gathering in high-density settlements led to interconnections

between, and early civilizations emerged in Mesopotamia, Egypt,
India, China, Mexico, and South America. Each of these
civilizations developed a set of interconnected cities that served as
centers of culture and trade. They developed their own forms of
writing, mathematics, and astronomy, and their own
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communication networks, specialized classes of occupations, and

armies. Economics became a powerful force and each civilization
created its own type of money to exchange for food and other
goods. And the development of writing made it possible to run
economies, formalize education, and pass information to those
living at a distance (in both space and time). It was in these early
civilizations that governments and planning tools like calendars
were created, and where metallurgy was developed to make tools
and ornaments first from copper, then silver and gold, and then
iron. The main effect of all these was the establishment of private
ownership of the land and goods and, concurrently, the need to
protect and defend one’s property. It brought fourth a way of life
and a view of the world that was very different from the
agricultural village life and the tribal life of the Cro-Magnons.
Combinations of iron-age technology, invasions, and internal

decay and corruption brought each of the ancient civilizations to an
end. In their place new civilizations arose in Greece, Rome, Persia,
India, and China, and these new civilizations brought about
significant developments in fields such as science, philosophy, art,
and religion. For example, the Greek civilization from about
1,000BC to 700AD stands out for its classic architecture, its
development of democracy and self-governance, and the works of
philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Major religions
were established during this period, including Judaism, Islam,
Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, and Christianity, and this was the
age of the Roman and Byzantine Empires. Again, these
civilizations were to disappear as a result of invasions and civil
wars.
The Third Generation

The third generation of modern humans might have begun
1,700-1,500 years ago, but the collapse of the Roman Empire led
to a thousand-year period often called the dark ages in which new
discoveries were denied and scientists making the new claims were
punished by church authorities. So a new generation was delayed

until about five hundred years ago. Once it started, however, the
transformation of the third generation was extraordinary.
A scientific revolution profoundly changed our

understanding of the world. For example, second generation
humans had no concept of the earth being round or circling the
sun. They watched seasons go by and the weather change, but had
no explanation for this other than “the will of God.” A very few
could read and write symbols, but they had no means to readily
share what they wrote with others. Until very recently humans had
no idea how to use oil or electricity as an energy resource, there
were no eyeglasses or engines, and flying was literally for the
birds.
In the third generation much happened in a very short time.

Scientific discoveries and other innovations led to a technological
revolution, for example, to new tools, to energy sources other than
human and animal, to machines, assembly lines, railroads,
automobiles, and so on. These had the effect of vastly increasing
agricultural productivity, so fewer people needed to farm and a
majority left for the cities to work in new manufacturing and
service industries. A communication revolution began with the
invention of printing, and with the availability of books, more and
more people learned to read and write. For the first time the Bible
was available to people other than church authorities, and their
authority was challenged as a result. Public education was born.
The arts flourished in what was called the Renaissance (rebirth).
Knowledge spread more widely and faster than ever before, and
toward the end of this generation, electronics made near-instant
worldwide communication possible.
These developments led people to see the world as something

that behaved according to reason or natural laws that could be
discovered and used to advantage. For example, rather than being
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born to a certain life, an individual could use his ingenuity and

drive to become something else. (We say “his” because women in
this generation were generally not permitted—by men—to share in
this.) The results were both good and bad. For example, they
included great improvement in the living conditions for many
people, longer lives because of advances in medicine, and the
development of modern democracies, but at the same time, great
emphasis on material gain, weaker connections with community
and family, and unprecedented destruction of the natural world.
Evolutionary processes
So, what do these stories of our ancestors tell us? First, they
tell us that there are three evolutionary processes:
(1) physical evolution of our environment, for example, changes in

the chemical and geological structure of the earth’s surface;
(2) biological evolution of plants and animals, for example, the

diversification of species, including humans; and
(3) cultural evolution or change in how we humans live and relate

to one another.
As we will describe below, physical evolution came before

biological evolution, and biological evolution came before cultural
evolution. All three continue to occur, but they do so at dramatic
differences in speed. Biological evolution is much faster than
physical evolution, and cultural evolution is much faster than
biological evolution. As a result, cultural evolution has become the
most significant evolutionary force.
This leads to the second thing that the stories of our ancestors
tell us—that evolution is now very much affected by our choices.
In fact, our choices don’t just cause changes in our culture.
Because of scientific and technological advances, they also affect
physical and biological processes. But before we get to that, let’s

step back and look at physical and biological evolution in more
detail.
Physical and biological evolution

By physical evolution we mean the evolution of matter, from
a single atom to various elements to living beings. We may think
of physical evolution as stable, but this is just the timeframe we
apply. It took 15 billion years for our world to get to its present
state, so most things change far slower than we notice in a human
lifetime.
Physical evolution created the conditions in which biological

evolution could begin. We won’t go into detail here, but use these
examples to think about how biological evolution has accelerated.
Life in a biological sense began about 3.5 billion years ago. For the
first billion years or more, lifeforms on earth were extremely
simple, mostly just bacteria. Then somewhere around a billion
years ago, soft-bodied marine animals like jellyfish developed,
followed about 500 million years ago by the first animals with
skeletons. Marine animals adapted to live on the land about 300
million years ago, and some grew to sizes far greater than we see
today—the dinosaurs. Then in the past 200 million years, an
enormous variety of plant and animal species have evolved, human
beings only in the past 200,000 years. So, from bacteria developing
over more than a billion years, we reach Homo Sapiens just
200,000 years ago, and modern humans only 35,000 years ago.
Over these billions of years there appear to be times when

change is sudden. For example, the dinosaurs disappeared very
quickly, and many scientists now agree that this happened because
an asteroid hit the earth and the resulting cloud of dust changed the
climate too rapidly for them to adapt. On a smaller scale, some
species appear to have emerged suddenly, perhaps as a result of
something going “wrong” in the development of offspring, but the
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offspring succeeding enough in the environment to live and

reproduce.
More typically a very gradual process of biological evolution

is thought to occur, and the primary mechanism for this is natural
selection. Natural selection works by adaptation to the
environment and inheritance. The environment changes, a species
relies more heavily on a particular characteristic in the changed
environment, and this characteristic is passed along to the next
generation. For example, the climate change that forced our
ancestors out of the trees and onto the savanna led to our arms and
legs being shaped to better support walking on two legs.
This is not to say that every adaptation is successful. It’s

more like trial and error. A species attempts to adapt to the
environment and produces variations. Some variations succeed—
they increase fitness—while others do not. When successive
variations are unsuccessful and/or when the environment changes
too quickly for the species to adapt, it disappears. The species
becomes extinct. (Think Neanderthal.)
One result of natural selection is an increase in variety. Plants

and animals in different environments adapt in different ways,
therefore we find more and more diversity over time. As we said in
Chapter 1, this diversity is desirable because it allows systems, or
species in this case, a better chance to adapt to further changes in
their environment.
Think about how these principles relate to one another.

Adaptation and natural selection happen through small changes in
characteristics. Species don’t suddenly become something entirely
different. Cats don’t all of a sudden become dogs. The color of
their hair, the shape of their ears, the size of their brains, and so on,
all change very slowly in response to changes in the environment.
So, natural selection leads to a cat that is better suited to the
surrounding environment. You may have heard natural selection

referred to as survival of the fittest. Here we have the “fittest” cat.
This adaptation of characteristics leads to increased

specialization of function, also. Certain characteristics serve
different functions better, so over time they become more
specialized to do so. Some examples include the color-changing
ability of chameleons, the night vision of owls, and the incredible
sense of smell possessed by sharks. These remarkable abilities
developed to serve special functions in these animals’
environments. And as these examples suggest, specialization in
function leads to greater differentiation in parts. The chameleon’s
skin, the owl’s eyes, and the shark’s nostrils are special parts that
serve special functions. So adaptation and natural selection lead to
greater differentiation of parts—to diversity.
But all these parts can’t just do their own things. They have
to work together. So, a greater number of parts leads to greater
dependence on one another and, therefore, greater integration.
(Remember that everything relates.) Greater differentiation plus
greater integration means greater complexity, and this is the basic
path of evolution—toward greater complexity. We’ll talk more
about complexity later. The important point to remember is that
evolution leads toward greater complexity, not toward simplicity.
Cultural evolution
Since the emergence of Archaic Sapiens we have been in a
third phase of evolutionary processes, one dominated by cultural
evolution. Recall that physical evolution referred to matter and our
physical environment, and biological evolution referred to living
things such as plants and animals. Cultural evolution refers to
changes in how we humans live and learn, and to how we relate to
one another.
The key distinction of cultural evolution is that changes are

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not brought about by mindless processes but by conscious choice.

Rather than wait for adaptation through natural selection and
inherited traits, we adapt by design. For example, rather than wait
for new body parts to extend our arms or keep us warm, we design
a tool and make clothing. We rely on our own creativity and
innovation rather than natural selection.
There are several important consequences of this shift to

cultural evolution. First, changes are far faster than ever before.
Rather than the many generations and millions of years of
biological evolution, changes in culture happen within the space of
single generations, recently even within single years. Second,
changes are no longer just adaptations to changes in the
environment. We change because we choose to change. Third,
while natural selection produces diversity by the continual
separation of species, and one species cannot reproduce with
another, a culture can change dramatically through becoming
interconnected with another. And fourth, while natural selection
eliminates variations that are not useful in a local environment,
cultures can retain and pass along innovations through writing and
education.
Co-evolution
Notice how one type of evolutionary process made the next
type possible. Physical evolution somehow reached a point where
life was possible, and biological evolution reached a point where
human consciousness and culture were possible. For example, the
biological development of the human brain and the shaping of our
vocal chords made it possible for spoken languages to develop, and
thus the transmission of information across groups and the
development of cultures. It’s accurate to describe the processes as
mutually influencing or co-evolutionary. This is especially clear
st
here at the beginning of the 21 century when we humans have
gained the ability to not only shape culture, but to change biology
and the physical world. How we use this ability may prove a
greater challenge than gaining it.
Evolutionary cycles
The stories of our ancestors tell us three more things. First,
they demonstrate how evolution happens in cycles. For example,
the generations of Homo Sapiens emerged, developed and
matured, then declined and disappeared. There seemed to be a
creative surge that led them to succeed as a species, but then a
rigidity and inability to further adapt that led them to fail.
Second, they show that the beginning of these cycles goes

entirely against the principles of natural selection. Rather than
random variation of parts, the new generations appear to have
emerged whole, with the potential to evolve in particular ways.
Some sort of threshold seems to have been reached and sudden
leaps somehow made. Thus far we have no explanations for these
discontinuities.
Third, the stories tell us that where an evolutionary leap ends,

and therefore where a new generation begins, is crucial. What a
species or generation will become is enfolded or contained within
this ending and starting point as creative potential on the one hand,
and a set of limits on the other.
The pattern of emergence, development, and decline, and the

sudden appearance of new wholes is typical of evolution. And we
have much evidence that we are reaching the end of generation
three Homo Sapiens. Will our species survive? What sort of leap is
required? Will it just happen naturally, or is it something we
humans can guide? If we can guide it, what directions should we
take?
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Core Ideas
3.1. Using a variety of evidence and new techniques and tools we
have learned much about where we came from.
3.2. Our early ancestors include Australopithecus Afarensis, Homo
Habilis, Homo Erectus, Archaic Sapiens, and Neanderthal.
3.3. Each of our ancestors developed and thrived for a period of
time then either adapted to changes in the environment or
disappeared. Neanderthal failed to adapt and became extinct,
while the Archaic Sapiens evolved to become the modern
human being.
3.4. There have been three generations of modern human: the Cro-
Magnon, followed by humans of the agricultural and industrial
revolutions.
3.5. Geological, biological and cultural evolution involve different
processes and occur on different timetables. Cultural evolution
has now gained prominence because of its speed and impact.
3.6. Evolution occurs in cycles of birth, development, and decline.
The beginning of an evolutionary cycle is marked by the
emergence of a new whole, not just a changed part.
3.7. We are on the brink of a fourth generation of modern human.
What that generation will become is unclear.
Activities
A. Five billion years. Three and a half billion years. Five to seven
million years. It’s hard to think in terms of billions and millions of
years and to see how very short our lives are. Maybe this analogy
will help. Pretend that you are as old as the human species. That
age, five million years, is 1,000 times smaller than how long ago
the earth took the form we see today, five billion years. So multiple
your age times 1,000. If the human species were as old as you, this
would be how long ago the earth settled into the form we see
today.
Try it the other way around. Divide your age by 1,000 and figure
out how many weeks or days that would equal (after dividing,
multiple by 52 or 365). If the earth has been as we see it today for

as long as you have been alive, this is how old the human species
would be.
Try this with other ages, like the emergence of modern humans
(200,000 years ago) or the 2,000 years since Christ’s birth.
B. Look at photographs of members of your family, photos from

earlier generations if you have them. Examine your relatives facial
features and compare them with your own. Do you have your
grandfather’s nose? Your great-grandmother’s ears? If you don’t
have pictures of your own ancestors, just find some paintings or
pictures of people from earlier generations. Look at their clothes
and the sorts of things that may be in the background of those
pictures. Think about what they did, how they spent their days,
how they traveled and communicated with one another, and so on.
How have biological and cultural evolution shaped who you are?
C. Think about what each part of your body does. Are there parts
that you use very heavily? Parts that you don’t use at all? What do
you imagine will happen over time and generations to these parts if
that pattern of use continues?
D. Explain where our species came from to an 8-10 year old child.
E. If we are about to leave generation three Homo Sapiens behind,

what do you wish for generation four? What do you wish humans
to become? What do you think being “human” should mean a
thousand years from now?
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4. Where are we going?
Where do we go from here?

Chicago
You’d better make up your mind.
Big Wooden Radio
Our story so far

What have we learned so far? The story of our species, like the
story of other species that survive today, is one of gradual change
interrupted by sudden leaps. Somewhere around six million years ago
Australopithecus Afarensis moved from the trees to the savanna
suddenly departing from the chimpanzees and apes. Four million years
later Homo Habilis and Homo Erectus learned to create tools and cook
in pots. They represented the turning point from an ape-like past to a
human-like future. Two hundred thousand years ago the Archaic
Sapiens learned to prepare raw materials from which other products
could be made, and the Neanderthal found shelter in the caves of
Europe and Asia. Then somewhere around 50,000-40,000 years ago,
the first generation of modern human beings emerged with the
remarkable intellectual, social, and technological development of Cro-
Magnon. The agricultural revolution of the second generation followed
just 10-12,000 years ago. Then the scientific-industrial revolution
established the third generation in just the last 500 years.
In this story there are many lessons for us. First, changes
happened in cycles. A new species suddenly appeared; it developed
and matured; its patterns became stable and resistant to change, causing
it to lose its ability to adapt; and it declined and disappeared. This is
true not only of distinct species, but of the generations of modern
human. Second, change appears to be rapidly accelerating. It took four
million years to get from Australopithecus Afarensis to Homo Habilis;
only 165,000 years to get from Archaic Sapiens to modern human; and
the third generation of modern humans appeared less than 10,000 years
after the second. Third, change processes were co-evolutionary. In

each of the leaps we can find changes in how our ancestors related to
one another, the patterns of their lives, how they acquired and used
resources, their technology and means of communication, their
relationships with nature, and so on. All these things changed in relation
to one another—they co-evolved—and a harmonious interaction among
them was required for the species to take hold. Fourth, evolution is now
primarily cultural.
Consciousness
A fifth lesson we can draw from the story is that the leap in
consciousness as each of our ancestors emerged was key to our
becoming human. By consciousness we mean the ability to see
ourselves as separate from the world—to observe ourselves in
relation to others and our environment.
Archaic Sapiens like the Neanderthal did not have what we

consider human consciousness. In essentially the “dream-like”
state of many animals, they were unable to see themselves as
individuals separate from others and the world. Their connection
was to nature, that is, they were entirely embedded in nature and
made no distinction of self from it.
It was the Cro-Magnon who made the leap of separation of

self from others and nature. They likely saw how and why things
happened as magical, rather than in terms of some rational cause
and effect, but evidence such as paintings clearly demonstrates the
ability to see themselves as distinct.
The three generations of modern humans took a series of

leaps in consciousness, deepening our sense of self and
community, our intellectual capacities, and our emotional lives.
The first generation’s self-reflective consciousness was sensory
and magical, the second, emotional and mythical, and the third,
mental/logical. Across these generations we developed complex
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languages to represent our thoughts, showing how the development

of our nervous systems and brain, the creation of languages, and
consciousness co-evolve. We developed the ability to wonder, to
introspect, and to consider not just what is but what might be.
From the early explanations of gods in the earth and sky, we
developed scientific understandings of how the world works. And
we developed a multi-dimensional perspective, allowing us to see
ourselves separate in space and time.
Taking perhaps the most profound step, here at the end of the
third generation we have developed an understanding of the processes
by which we came to be the way we are—we have developed
evolutionary consciousness. Evolutionary consciousness is likely to be
the key as we shift the view from where we came from to where we are
going.
The end of Generation 3

So where is humanity going? We really don’t know. We
know how we came to be as we are today, and our knowledge of
this process tells us that what we do now will make a difference in
the future. But the future remains unpredictable. How all of our
actions will combine, how our environment will change on its own
and in response to our actions, how and when a new generation of
humans will emerge, and how they will think and act are unclear.
Below are some possibilities, some directions that humanity

might take in the near term. These certainly don’t represent all
possibilities. Nor do they imply specific actions that would take us
in particular directions. We just intend to suggest where humanity
might go given some of the forces that exist today.
One thing seems very clear, however. We have reached a

turning point. Generation 3 of modern human is in decline. Its
patterns have stabilized and have become rigid. It is growing
further and further out of sync with its environment, and its
inability to adapt to change is pushing it rapidly toward collapse.

You may think that is an awfully drastic statement to make about
humanity. Consider the evidence.
th
• Technological development in the 20 century was truly
remarkable, so remarkable and so rapid that the social and ethical
systems necessary to guide it never caught up. We are closing in
on the ability to create human life with whatever characteristics we
choose, but with barely any collective consideration of what those
characteristics should be.
• We have moved from an industrial age requiring masses of

laborers to an information age requiring continuous learning.
Rather than people who are physically skilled to work in particular
occupations for a lifetime, we need workers who are able to adapt
as the skills required in their jobs change by the year, if not the
month. Yet at the same time, our educational systems maintain the
structures and processes, in some cases even the content, of the
industrial age.
• We have found the means to extract and produce vast amounts of

energy to fuel our industries and ways of life. Yet the extraction,
production, and use are destroying our natural environment. Our
farming practices have dramatically increased the productivity of
our farms, yet have contributed to washing the topsoil we rely on
for growing food down our rivers. We’ve developed useful
chemicals but have sent them into the atmosphere, threatening our
protection from harmful rays. We’ve found the means to exploit
the power within the atom, yet have used this to create weapons
that could destroy our planets’ surface, taking us with it, and waste
products that will remain harmful to us for the next six million
years. We’ve learned that diversity is key to survival, yet our
actions have created the conditions for mass extinction of species.
In fact, many scientists agree that we are now experiencing a mass
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extinction, on the order of 30,000 species lost per year. To put this
in perspective, the last mass extinction was 65 million years ago!
• A small percentage of the earth’s peoples now enjoy an

unprecedented degree of personal freedom. We can live where we
choose, work in the areas we wish, and form social bonds if and
when we want. But with the gain of independence we’ve lost our
sense of family and community. Personal, material gain has
become more important than social connection, and this shifts our
attitudes away from social benefit and service. We increasingly
depend on laws and police to maintain order, and lawyers and
lawsuits to settle disputes. We think something is wrong not
because it caused harm but because we got caught.
• Medical advances and our knowledge of nutrition have allowed

the Earth’s human population to grow rapidly, so rapidly that it is
unclear if food resources can be developed to keep us alive in the
21st century.
• Scientists have found that the simple cause-and-effect reasoning

of the industrial age does not explain the behavior of complex
systems, and that complex systems include things like the earth
itself, the weather, and human beings. Yet our institutions, our
governmental policies, our laws, and so on, still rely on simple
cause-and-effect logic.
• Communication technologies have spurred the development of a

global economy. This has allowed the quality of life of some
people to improve dramatically in a very short period of time. At
the same time, it has created an enormous and continually
widening gap between rich and poor, and it threatens to destroy the
individual identity of cultures and countries. Most people don’t yet
recognize that global economic forces already far exceed the
power of national governments, including that of the United States.
We could offer other examples. The point is that our social

systems no longer reflect the reality in which they are embedded.
They were designed for a bygone era and have not co-evolved with
their environment. We see in their resistance to change, the end of
an evolutionary cycle and the decline of Generation 3 modern
human. We humans face the challenge of transformation, not just
transition.
Future possibilities
So where might we go? Here are some scenarios of what
might be ahead.
• Suppose we focus on technological development. We might find

human relations maintained largely via attached or implanted
electronic devices. We would be connected “24-7,” in touch with
one another instantly and continuously worldwide. We wouldn’t
need to be in a particular place to work or learn, we could just
“connect” from wherever. Computing would be an embedded
capability in everything, including us, making the boundaries
between human and machine blur then disappear. Another blurred
boundary would be between what is real and what is artificial. For
example, we may develop dust-particle sized computers, so small
that by filling the space around us, their simple action of reflecting
light back to us in different colors would create a scene that we
could not distinguish from reality. Our encounters with objects and
each other in these virtual realities might be commonplace. In a
sense, we would lead multiple lives.
• Another future scenario emphasizing technology development

would have us creating who we wish to be via genetic engineering.
Each generation would be a product of the previous generation’s
desires and the manipulations that were available. If one of our
body parts had a problem, we could replace it. If we wished to
delay aging, we could rejuvenate our bodies and live for hundreds
of years. When the Earth’s population density became too great,
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we would move offworld, to space stations and other planets.
• In contrast, suppose our future was dominated by economic

forces, a free market economy in particular. We might have a
global government, subject to no national rule, Nation-states would
grow powerless in the face of global economic forces and would
be superceded. A single worldwide language—based on proportion
of internet use, Chinese—would be instituted so that everyone
could speak freely with everyone else. This government might be
able to keep local conflicts from escalating into large-scale wars.
Reasonable work conditions could be insured because a single
institution oversaw them worldwide, and the free market would
mean great freedom for individual initiative and choice.
• Another possibility is a future in which human relations are given

priority. We might create a civil society in which everyone had the
right to know about issues that affected them and the ability and
responsibility to participate in making decisions. Rather than
debate by the few in power and control by authorities removed
from the situation, individual communities would engage in new
forms of participative self-governance.
It’s up to us
There are several important things to notice about these sorts
of scenarios. First, these are not wild futuristic visions. Every
single possibility mentioned above is based on an effort that is
already underway!
Second, the scenarios are not mutually exclusive. For

example, a certain attitude toward technology development doesn’t
make it impossible to have different systems of governance or
economy. The areas emphasized by the scenarios interdepend.
Worldwide “24-7” communication technologies enable a global
economy. Local self-governance works against a strong global
government. And embracing virtual realities challenges the notion
of community based on physical location. In fact, the various areas

are so connected that we might apply the systems term tightly
coupled.
Third, each scenario has potentially positive and negative

consequences. We’ve focused more on the positives above. Here
are some negatives. Allowing technology development to proceed
unrestrained would lead us to view resource depletion as an
acceptable tradeoff for our style of life. We would simply trust
science to find alternatives as they became needed. For example,
when farmlands could no longer sustain agriculture, we would eat
what bioengineering or nanotechnology could create (e.g., other
resources turned into food by biological nanobots). Of course,
those who couldn’t afford the nanobots would starve.
Similarly, heavy focus on a free market economy would

create wider and wider gaps between rich and poor—winners and
losers, with their lives as the stake. It would lead to a loss of local
control and local culture. Money would go where individual global
investors saw potential profits at the moment, so local economies
would succeed or fail based on global forces and the short-term
decisions of global investors. And with the same goods and
services available worldwide, at lower cost than small businesses
could match, local businesses would be pushed out of the market.
Even the humanistic or civil society described above has

potential problems. We could lose much of our personal freedom
having to make all our decisions as a community. We could
become so trapped in thinking things over that we could not
effectively respond to immediate threats. Decisions based on local
concerns could backfire in the face of global forces. Decentralized
governance could even open the door to groups with extreme,
selfish goals to proceed without strong opposition.
The point here is that there is no utopia, only better or worse

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circumstances. Any decisions we make have potentially positive

and negative consequences. But understanding that everything
relates tells us that these consequences cut across areas like
technology and economy, and go beyond local situations. Our
decisions need to be based on local AND global perspectives, and
to be grounded in the complexity of our world rather than the
simple views of individual disciplines or areas that we humans
invent. It seems wise to apply systemic evaluation to past and
proposed actions, to look at the whole system rather than just parts.
Fourth, it is important to notice that it is natural for us, or any

system, to resist change. The scenarios above involve major
changes in our style of life, the ways we communicate and learn,
how our society is organized, how we obtain and utilize resources,
the nature of our technologies, our relationship with the natural
world, and so on. We perceive that these changes complicate our
lives, so we resist them. We may try to preserve the status quo or
advocate a return to the “good old days.” But this focuses our
energies on what to avoid rather than what to embrace. As a result
we never really get what we want.
Maybe the distinction mentioned earlier will help.

Complicated means many things, while complexity means many
things that are integrated. Rather than seeking simplicity or
reducing complication, we need to seek integration and
complexity. In fact, evolution is a movement toward greater
complexity, so seeking simplicity works against evolution.
Lastly and most importantly, every aspect of the scenarios

above is at least partly the result of purposeful human action. We
may not be able to predict the future with a great deal of precision,
but we surely will affect it, and how we do so is up to us.
Generation 3 modern human is in decline. What Generation 4 will
become is up to us. For the first time in history, we face the
challenge of becoming a new generation with knowledge of
evolutionary processes. We have attained evolutionary

consciousness, and now have the opportunity to consciously
evolve.
Core Ideas
4.1. Generation 3 modern human is in decline. Its characteristics
are no longer in sync with its environment. It must either adapt
or face extinction.
4.2. The emergence of each generation of modern human was
marked by a leap in consciousness.
4.3. Evolutionary consciousness is a promising marker of
Generation 4.
4.4. There are many possible futures. They will bring us better or
worse circumstances, not a utopia.
4.5. Such areas as politics, economics, technology, and culture
interdepend, so our chances of creating better circumstances for
the future are improved by taking a systemic perspective.
4.6. The transformation to Generation 4 will not be easy. It
requires that we embrace rather than resist change and seek
complexity rather than simplicity.
4.7. We cannot predict exactly how our actions will affect the
future, but they certainly will do so.
Activities
A. Look around the space surrounding you at this moment. Ask
yourself why it is the way it is. For example, if you are indoors ask
why the room is a certain size and shape, why the ceilings are a
certain height, why the floors are a certain material, the lights and
furniture arranged in a particular way. Who caused these to be this
way? Imagine what human surroundings will look like in 100
years. Create both positive and negative images. What human
actions today would lead toward the more positive or more
negative images?
B. Read a science fiction story or think about one you’ve read in

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the past. What actions and events in the next few years might make
the story come true? Did we experience Orwell’s vision of 1984?
Clark or Kubrick’s vision of 2001? Why/why not?
C. Think about your great great grandchildren. What do you wish

for them? What could we do today to ensure this future for them?
D. The three generations of humans appear to have been organized

around three levels of consciousness: a sensory/magical
consciousness, an emotional/mythical consciousness, and a
mental/rational context. What new consciousness should we seek
to develop to guide the emergence of generation four? A
spiritual/ethical consciousness? How could we do so?
5. Can I make a difference?
If you want to be somebody else, if you’re tired of losing

battles with yourself, change your mind.
Sister Hazel
Nelson Mandela became the President of post-apartheid

South Africa. The Berlin Wall was peacefully deconstructed. The
USSR split apart. Who could have guessed just decades ago that
these things would happen? Instantaneous worldwide
communication. Space tourism. Cloning. Real-time translation of
speech. How could science fiction so quickly become fact? Ours is
an age of extraordinary change. What we imagine one day as a
possibility soon becomes a part of everyday life. But do we as
individuals have any influence? Can we make a difference?
Change is possible
Yes, individual humans can make a difference. What would
our understanding of physics be without Einstein? How would our
music sound without Mozart? What would the political map of
Europe look like if there had been no Hitler? Would there be a
United States without Abraham Lincoln? What would be different
in the lives of Americans without Martin Luther King, Jr.?
Recorded history is filled with the names of individuals who,

for better or worse, had a major impact not only in their time and
in their surroundings but on generations since. Whether in terms of
our understanding of the universe or the way in which we perceive
ourselves and each other, these individuals changed the world.
They shifted the path and made the stories of our societies
different.
One thing they had in common is the belief that change is

possible, that the conditions they observed could be made
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different. They could argue a position and lead to different

decisions. They could experiment and find new relationships and
understandings. They could create music and art unlike that which
they heard and saw. They may not have followed a grand plan or
vision, but they believed that their actions could make a difference.
But aren’t they rare individuals—geniuses, great artists, and

great leaders? Is there any point to comparing their actions to our
own?
Individual actions have meaning, sometimes enormous effect

Have you ever heard of Cristoph Willibald Gluck? Gluck was
as popular a composer in Mozart’s day as Mozart. In fact, Mozart
was buried in an unmarked pauper’s grave, and the few people
who attended his funeral did not even walk to the cemetery
because it was raining. Similarly, if you said “Bach” in the late
1700s more people would likely have thought of Carl Philip
Emmanuel Bach or Johann Christian Bach than their father, Johann
Sebastian. So, some people’s work is unheralded in their lifetimes
and celebrated long afterward. Others are recognized in life and
soon forgotten afterward. Their names aren’t prominent in history
because their ideas didn’t catch on, their art didn’t strongly
influence others, events don’t appear to have been shaped as a
result of their discoveries.
Think about history in general. History is written by

historians, by people who examine evidence from the past,
interpret events, and tell stories. What do they tell stories about?
About things that led to other things. About people who influenced
others. About events that seemed to cause major changes. Were
those people and events known to be important at the time? Not
necessarily. The future impact of their work was unclear. In other
words, we know what changes history only in retrospect.
Predictions are often far off the mark. For example, the Internet
was expected to be a small-scale network of maybe five or six
computers, and massive computer failures were anticipated as the

year 2000 arrived.
So some actions, events, discoveries and inventions have

great impact while others do not, and we know with certainty
which is which only by looking back at them in the future. We’ll
return to why in a moment. First it’s important to appreciate that
some things do indeed have profound impact—impact well beyond
what seems reasonable at the time.
This is known in chaos theory as the “butterfly effect.”

Theoretically, a butterfly flapping its wings on one side of the earth
can change the weather on the other side. That sounds absurd, but
the analogy is a good one. The more we learn about our world the
more we find interconnections—everything relates. Weather, for
example, is the result of a huge range of dynamic factors, and a
minor change in one factor can have a large impact. Let’s say that
water vapor is very close to changing into rain. A minor change in
temperature may be all that’s necessary to trigger the difference
between a cloud that floats by and a rainstorm. Take this story
further: the minor change in temperature was caused by a slight
shift in air current as a jet flew by. The jet flew by at this moment
because the pilot made a slight course change. The pilot made a
slight course change to see if she could gain a little more speed.
She wanted a little more speed to make up for a short delay in
boarding. The boarding delay was caused by a passenger having
trouble stowing his suitcase. The passenger’s suitcase was too
large but the steward let it go because he was in a good mood. Did
the steward’s mood cause it to rain? Actually, yes! But it was one
of thousands of factors involved. And it just happened to be that
the system was in a state which allowed a very minor difference to
trigger a large change.
The impact of actions depends on conditions

If the water vapor in the cloud had not been very close to
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condensing, the jet would not have made a difference. The pilot
and steward’s actions might have had other consequences but
would not have led to rain. What determines whether an action or
event has a large impact? More than anything in the action or event
itself, it is the conditions in which it occurs. In a very real way it is
a system’s readiness or sensitivity to being influenced that
determines the impact of an event or action. Similarly, we may
have what we think is a great idea, but if the conditions aren’t right
then it may go nowhere. For example, others need to recognize it
as good, to perceive that it has a goodness of fit with their
understanding of the situation.
If we accept that conditions are so important, then we have to

also accept that there is a right time and place for actions to have
impact. If they are taken elsewhere, or if an idea comes up in a
different age, then it may not have any impact at all. Would we
have ever heard the name Marco Polo if his father and uncle had
not been traders who took him on their journeys to the far east?
Would we know Maya Angelou’s poetry if she had been born a
century earlier? If Germany had not been humiliated by the
conditions of the Treaty of Versailles at the end of World War I,
would anyone have listened to Hitler’s words? If Mozart were born
in 1950 would he play rock and roll? Would Martin Luther King,
Jr.’s words have gained any power if he said them in 1920 rather
than 1960? If Jesus or Mohammed or Buddha walked among us
today would we notice?
It’s a matter of context. A great idea at a time when the

resources and tools to make it real are available. An event in a
environment that gives it meaning. A confluence of action and
conditions making something possible.
Making a difference
But if context is so important, then how can we make a
difference on purpose? How can we know which action to take
when, or which idea will be more powerful? We cannot know

these things with certainty, but we can study conditions carefully
and use this knowledge to determine which actions and ideas may
have more potential. By doing this we may find the trigger or
catalyst for change, or we may push the system slightly toward a
condition in which another trigger will have greater power. Notice
that at the time we don’t know if our action will simply prepare the
system for change or will prove to be the trigger. The action is the
same. We know the effect only in retrospect.
Our chances of making a difference are enhanced when we

appreciate the fact that we can do far more than I ever can, also.
Conscious evolution is a social process, not just a matter of
individual genius or leadership. We can make more of a difference
by engaging with one another, by participating. When we
collaborate with each other we can build off of each other’s ideas.
We can evaluate the potential of ideas and actions from more
perspectives. We can rely on one another’s knowledge of resources
and tools. We can help each other take action.
Working together is important not only for what can be

achieved. It is important for determining what we attempt. What
we decide and what we create are a part of us. Our decisions,
actions, and creations are part of who we are. They reflect what we
value and believe, and what we aspire to become.
We rather than I isn’t just a matter of size of effect. It’s a

matter of ethics. It is ethical to create the future with each other. It
is not ethical for one individual or group to create a future for
another.
So, can you make a difference? Yes, but if what you want
from it is fame or credit, then you’ll likely be disappointed. You’ll
never know the true effects of your contribution. Instead you’ll
know that you worked toward a worthwhile goal—in this case, the
Banathy & Rowland
goal of sustaining the human species.
Core Ideas
5.1. Change is possible. The past does not completely determine
the future.
5.2. Individual actions can make a difference. Depending on
conditions, small actions can have major effects.
5.3. The same action may trigger a major change or better prepare
a system for such. The person who takes the action and others
can know the difference only afterward (if ever).
5.4. History tends to tell us about the trigger, the isolated event or
action, rather than the preparation, so we tend to believe
deceptively simple interpretations of complex situations.
5.5. Our ability to consciously evolve is greatly enhanced by
working together, by engaging with one another.
5.6. It is ethical to design with not for others.
Activities
A. Think of an important invention not mentioned in this chapter.
What social, political, and economic conditions made it possible
for that invention to be widely adopted.
B. Imagine that you were born in a different place at a different

time. What would be better or worse? How about if you were born
today in a different family, with a different gender, or a different
race?
C. Ask yourself what motivates you to act in a certain way. For

example, would you take action if no one would ever know what
that action accomplished?
D. Ask a friend the following questions: Under what conditions is

it ethical to create things for others rather than with them? Under
what conditions is this not ethical?
6. How can we create the future?
Wounded in the battle

Lying in the weeds
Immersed in contemplation
Of history’s evil deeds
He offered up to free will
Free will flatly replied
Conscious evolution’s all there is on your side
Jeb Puryear and Johnny Dowd
Harold: You sure have a way with people.

Maude: Well, they’re my species.
Harold and Maude
There are good reasons to work together. Groups can

accomplish more than individuals. No one can predict which of our
efforts will trigger change and have a large impact, so many
simultaneous efforts increase our chances. And by working
together we insure that our efforts serve us all rather than a few.
But in years of schooling we learn to work independently.

We read and study alone. We work with “personal” computers.
Even in “groupwork” we collaborate with a few people who are
like us in age and background. Then we take tests by ourselves.
How can we create the future not just for ourselves, but for our
communities and societies, and for our species?
We propose five major actions:
(1) design the future rather than plan or try to fix the past;
(2) think in terms of systems and interdependencies;

Banathy & Rowland
(3) uncover values, beliefs, and assumptions
(4) focus on communities and on education;
(5) find new ways of being together
(1) Design the future

There are four approaches we can take toward the future. We
can say that it is outside our control, do nothing, and let it happen
to us. Or we can view it as merely an extension of the past and just
try to fix our mistakes. Or we can predict trends and plan to take
advantage of them. Or we can create images of the future we wish
for and take steps to make that a reality—we can design. The last
approach has the most potential for leading to the emergence of
Generation 4 modern human.
There are many aspects of design. Here are some aspects
expressed as principles.
• Design by carrying out these processes: understand and transcend

the current situation; create alternative images of a desired future;
compare and select the image(s) with most potential; transform the
situation by bringing the selected image to life.
• Use reason and intuition, rationality and creativity. Use both

sides of your brain.
• Think in terms of judgments and consequences, not right or

wrong decisions. There are no right and wrong decisions in
designing. By definition, design creates something new, something
whose effects cannot be entirely predetermined. So to say that a
design is right or wrong is to use the past to evaluate the future.
Instead, learn if a judgment is wise by observing its consequences.
• Be proactive rather than reactive. Being reactive only fixes or

eliminates things that exist. Getting rid of what we don’t want
doesn’t give us what we do.
• Similarly, focus on doing the right thing rather than the wrong
thing righter. Efficiency means doing more in less time for less
cost, while effectiveness means accomplishing goals. Focus first
on effectiveness. Otherwise we can waste much effort and create
ways to more efficiently do things that are not relevant to our
goals.
• Embrace diversity. Include members in the design team who

bring as widely varying perspectives of the situation as possible.
The designs we create will have greater potential to succeed in the
situation and greater ability to change when the situation changes
as a result.
• Think about solutions and problems together. Trying to figure out

all of the “problems” before attempting to solve any of them is a
trap. There’s no end to it. Instead, use solution ideas to understand
problems. Let the two inform each other. The result will be designs
that are better matched to the complexity of the situation.
• Don’t try to control everything. Most situations, and certainly

those we are considering here, are dynamic and complex. So,
designs need to be flexible and to have built-in mechanisms for
adaptation over time.
(2) Think in terms of systems and interdependencies

In situations that are dynamic and complex, the consequences
of actions are difficult to predict. Changing something in one area
will affect other areas we may not have realized were connected.
And the nature of effects in the areas we thought of, and those we
did not, may be surprising. So, what do we as designers do?
We need to be systems thinkers. This means assuming things

are related and connected until we have clear evidence that they
Banathy & Rowland
are separate, rather than assuming the opposite. It means creating

systems that match and fit the complexity of the situation and seek
to change it, rather than solutions to isolated problems. It means
seeking greater differentiation and greater integration, and
recognizing that it’s desirable for things to become more complex
as opposed to more complicated. It means testing and evaluating
designs by looking at their widespread consequences, not just at
what they do in an immediate time and place.
Systems thinking also means that we recognize that situations

and designs are themselves interdependent. Just as a wooden bowl
will change the taste of the soup it contains, the situation shapes
the design as much as the design changes the situation.
These thoughts on systems design apply to a new electronic

device or to an organization or anything else that we can create.
What does it mean to design a system when we talk about society
and Generation 4 modern human? It means creating an integrated
set of socio-cultural markers, for example, a world view, a set of
ethical and moral standards, ways to communicate and learn, ways
to organize our everyday lives and relate to one another, ways to
nurture our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness, the
manners in which we engage in social action, acceptable practices
for obtaining and utilizing resources, the nature of our economy,
our attitudes toward science and the knowledge derived from it,
our sense of aesthetics and the ways we seek to enrich the quality
of our lives, our system of governance, our development and use of
technology, and how we relate to nature. As we learned from
studying our ancestors, we must achieve harmonious interaction
among these for a new generation to take hold.
As we have throughout the book, we use systems here to

imply wholes and interdependencies, not standard approaches. The
situations for which designing is necessary are unique. Their parts
are unique. The relationships of those parts to one another are
unique. What they become together is always different.
Being a systems thinker means looking for and appreciating

interdependencies, not applying single answers regardless of the
question.
(3) Uncover values, beliefs, and assumptions

Few of our actions are random. We do things because we
expect them to have certain outcomes. We walk one direction
rather than another because there is somewhere we wish to reach.
We choose foods at a restaurant or grocery because we think they
will give us pleasure and better health. We vote for people because
we believe they share our views on issues and will act in our best
interests.
If our actions are based on goals, where do our goals come

from? There are many factors we consider, consciously and
unconsciously, when we form a goal. But even simple goals, like
“make it to school on time today” or “save money” can be traced
to underlying assumptions, beliefs, and values.
Say that you decide to go for a walk after dinner. You choose
a certain route because you assume that it will be safe and that
your heart and lungs will handle the strain. You select certain
shoes and clothing because you assume they will be comfortable
and will protect you in the weather. You may take the walk
because you believe that walking is good for you, that exercise will
improve your health, and that better health will lead to a longer
life. Given these beliefs, you choose to walk because you value
fitness and longevity.
These assumptions, beliefs, and values are often not readily

apparent to us. In fact, the “communication revolution” seems to
have done more to hide them than to expose them. We are
bombarded with more and more information daily, but rarely is
Banathy & Rowland
that information accompanied by a clear sense of the source, or the

perspective that was taken, or the evidence that claims were based
on. We seem to be getting more and more information but less
meaning, more channels but the same voices, more media but the
same messages. And throughout we get simple stereotypes while
we ourselves, our relations with others, and the situations we
encounter daily are not simple or sterotypical. They are dynamic
and complex.
This is okay if we want to maintain the status quo or accept

the directions that those few people with wealth and power will
take us. It is insufficient and unacceptable if we choose to create a
desirable future for all humanity. For that we need to expose
underlying assumptions, beliefs, and values, find common ground
among them, then use that common ground to design.
It is not up to us (the authors) to determine what future

should be created or what values should be primary. But there are a
few basic guidelines that our understanding of systems and design
suggests. We’ll share three here. We consider them to be key
ethical principles to follow as Generation 4 of our species emerges.
The first extends a point made in Chapter 5.
• Design with and within, not for. It is the right of people to guide
their destiny, to take part directly in decisions affecting their lives.
Therefore, designing is something for everyone to do, not for an
outsider to do for others.
• Think bigger and farther ahead. Because of interdependence, our

actions affect things beyond our personal setting and
circumstances. Therefore, in designing we need to think globally
and well into the future. We need to think in terms of a global
culture and make judgments based on their impact on future
generations.
• Look for AND relationships rather than OR. We can value

individual freedom, social justice, AND ecological harmony, not
trade one for another. We can respect cultural tradition AND the
artist working at the cultural edge. We can rely on the wisdom of
the past AND be inspired by the future.
(4) Focus on communities and on education

We have said that it is important to design the future rather
than just plan for it or try to fix the past, to think in terms of
systems, to uncover values, beliefs, and assumptions, to design
with and within, not for, to think bigger and farther ahead, and to
look for AND relationships rather than OR. Underlying all these
principles is a shift of mindset from the individual to the collective
and from the present to the future.
These are signs of the emergence of Generation 4 modern

human, and they already can be seen in many areas: a new view of
interdependence and wholeness; an appreciation of dynamic
complexity and what it implies for our actions; a new sense of
spirituality and connection with nature; a heightened economic and
social interdependence through global communication; groups
exploring truly participative democracy; calls for ethical guidelines
for new science and for technology that serves the common good.
We’re asking different questions and getting different answers
about ourselves and the world.
How these developments will interconnect is not clear, but it

is imperative that they do. Otherwise, each will fail to take hold
and the patterns of Generation 3, already in decline, will persist. It
is, therefore, no exaggeration to say that the future of our species is
at stake in this interconnection.
We don’t know what connections will be made or how, but

there is a most promising answer to where—in communities and in
education. The most likely place for the kind of work that is
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necessary to bring the various developments together is an

authentic, sustainable community, one of people who are
intimately intertwined in their everyday lives and committed to
creating a healthy environment for themselves and for their
children.
Within and across these communities, education is key.

Today we have predominantly maintenance learning. We school
our children in what is already known and expect them to take it on
faith that this knowledge will be relevant in their future. We slice
the world into subject areas and separate what can and cannot be
studied into grades. We impose more and more testing in response
to students not memorizing enough facts and figures or not gaining
the ability to apply standard rules in known situations.
Maintenance learning offers little help in creating the future.

Instead, we need to create educational systems and approaches that
are evolutionary, for example: evolutionary learning to help
learners of all ages face unexpected situations, find and build
connections; approaches that nurture respectful and caring
relationships rather than competition, that offer a wide range of
learning approaches and resources; tasks that learners themselves
see as relevant; and goals that focus on evolutionary consciousness
and the capacity for conscious evolution.
(5) Find new ways of being together

A question remains. What do we do in communities and in
education that will lead us toward conscious evolution? In other
words, what approaches will help us make connections, find
common ground, create images of desirable futures, and select and
plan to make those images come to life? It seems necessary for us
to find a new way to be together. Our interactions today are guided
by a mindset of competition. We fight for the floor, insert
ourselves in momentary silence, and attempt to convince each
other of right (me) and wrong (you). This discourages listening and
meaningful collaboration, the very things necessary for us to create

a future together.
The words dialogue and conversation are now being used to
describe a different way of being together. In a conversation,
groups of people focus on particular issues and are guided by
carefully worded triggering questions. They take time to think
before speaking. Everyone has an opportunity to share their
thoughts. Everyone else listens. Time is important, so a
conversation may last a week or be continued over years rather
than stay within the artificial constraint of an hour.
Conversation leads to a deep understanding of each others’

perspective. Rather than saying “no, you’re wrong” participants
ask “what do you mean?” They listen and learn. The common
ground that results is deeper, richer, and firmer. It allows whatever
the group builds to stand more strongly.
Conversation opens up creative capacity. Truly listening and

reflecting allows participants to see connections more clearly. It
opens them to possibilities rather than closing them off to views
that they do not immediately share. It allows them to see AND
rather than OR relationships.
Participants in a conversation often find themselves in a

special state of consciousness. Time seems to move at different
speeds, emotions are heightened, and an unexpected level of
energy emerges for both the individuals and the group. This is the
same experience that athletes have when everything comes
together and they perform at a high level. It has been called peak
experience, liminal state, and flow.
Imagine communities around the world engaged in

conversation, each designing the future for itself. Each recognizing
its interdependence with every other community, thus leading it to
find means to collaborate. A global culture based on self-design.
Banathy & Rowland
Conscious evolution. Generation 4 modern human.
New Agoras
We may find inspiration in the Agoras of classical Greece.
The Agoras were places of assembly where democracy was
practiced. Each year forty assemblies were held and citizens had
the opportunity to deliberate and make decisions about issues that
affected their lives and the lives of their communities. The
proceedings were governed by a democratic constitution, and this
constitution brought everyday citizens into an active role in the
service of the common good. Perhaps we can bring the Agora
concept and experience back to life. True participative democracy
could become the guiding idea for our society and the engine for
conscious evolution. The Agora as an image of a self-designing
community might capture our imagination and help us see
possibilities.
Core Ideas
6.1. Designing is different from planning or trying to fix what
exists. It involves imagining new possibilities.
6.2. Designers use reason and intuition, depend on judgments
rather than decisions, are proactive rather than reactive, and
embrace diversity of viewpoints.
6.3. Most situations of importance are dynamic and complex and
require systems thinking.
6.4. To be able to work together we need to uncover and
understand our own and each other’s assumptions, beliefs, and
values.
6.5. Communities and education have the most potential for
making connections among new developments that will lead to
Generation 4 modern human.
6.6. Conversation represents a new way of being together. It is a
powerful tool for designing, systems thinking, and uncovering
assumptions, beliefs, and value. It offers much to the
development and ongoing work of communities and education.
6.7. Conscious evolution might be manifested in a global culture of

community self-design—new Agoras.
Activities
A. Think about an action you took recently. What did you intend to
accomplish? What were your general and specific goals? What
assumptions did you make? What beliefs and values guided you?
B. Reflect on recent discussions you have had in which you did not
agree with another person’s point of view. What assumptions did
you make? What assumptions did he or she seem to make? What
values and beliefs led you to your point of view? What values and
beliefs likely led to his or her point of view?
C. If you woke up tomorrow morning and found yourself living in

a community dedicated to self-design and to creating a better
future for its children, what would you see? What actions would
you take on a daily basis? How would you relate to other
individuals, other communities, and to the natural world? What
would you value most in living in that community?
Banathy & Rowland
7. Conclusion
We have come a long way from Australopithecus Afarensis,

Archaic Sapiens, and Cro-Magnon. By geological and biological
standards our species has developed at an astonishing rate. Cultural
evolution has now come to the fore, and a new generation Homo
Sapiens is necessary and has begun to emerge. What that
generation will become is up to us. The future is affected by the
past, but it is not determined by it. We humans can and must shape
its direction. We have gained evolutionary consciousness, and with
it comes the responsibility of conscious evolution.
We stand at a threshold, the end of one evolutionary era and

the beginning of another. It is a time when small things can have
profound impact. What we do now will have dramatic
consequences for future generations. It is an ethical imperative that
we act with those generations clearly in mind.
To cross the threshold we must accept the responsibility to

guide evolution. This requires several things of us: global systems
thinking and an understanding of dynamic complexity; the will to
design and the capacity to continually let go of the past and
embrace the new; and widely agreed upon ethical norms to guide
our actions.
Ours is a time of great confusion and great possibility. The future
of humanity is in our hands.
Resources
For more information, here are some key sources:
Banathy, B. (1996). Designing social systems in a changing world.
NY: Plenum Publishers.
Banathy, B. H. (2000). Guided evolution of society. NY: Kluwer
Academic/Plenum Publishers.
Bohm, D. (1996). On Dialogue. NY: Routledge.
Boulding, K. (1985). Human betterment. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Chaisson, E. (1987). The life era. NY: The Atlantic Monthly Press.
Checkland, P. (1981). Systems thinking, systems practice. NY:
John Wiley & Sons.
Churchman, W. C. (1979). The systems approach and its enemies.
NY: Basic Books.
Csanyi, V. (1989). Evolutionary systems and society. Durham, NC:
Duke University Press.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1993). The evolving self. NY: HarperCollins
Publishers.
Davis, P. (1992). The mind of God. NY: Simon & Schuster.
Dawkins, R. (1989). The selfish gene. NY: Oxford University
Press.
Dennett, D. (1996). Darwin’s dangerous idea: Evolution and the
meanings of life. NY: Touchstone.
Elgin, D. (1993). Awakening Earth. NY: William Morrow and
Company.
Friedman, T. L. (2000) The lexus and the olive tree (updated and
expanded edition). NY: Anchor Books.
Gleick, J. (1999). Faster: The acceleration of just about
everything. NY: Pantheon.
Gould, S. (1996). Full house. NY: Three River Press.
Banathy & Rowland
Hubbard, B. (1998). Conscious evolution. Novato, CA: New

World Library.
Isaacs, W. (1993, Fall). Dialogue, collective thinking, and
organizational learning. Organizational Dynamics.
Jantsch, E. (1981). The evolutionary vision. Boulder, CO:
Westview Press.
Laszlo, E. (1996). Evolution: The general theory. Cresskill, NJ:
Hampton Press.
Leakey, R., & Leakey, R. (1993). Origin reconsidered. NY:
Anchor Books.
Montuori, A. (1989). Evolutionary competence: Creating the
future. Amsterdam. J. C. Gieben, Publisher.
Norman, D. A. (1998). The invisible computer. Cambridge, MA:
MIT Press.
Rowland, G. (1999). A tripartite seed: The future creating capacity
of designing, learning, and systems. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton
Press.
Rowland, G., & Shapiro, D. (1996). Perspectives in change.
Special issue of Educational Technology, 36(1).
Salk, J. (1983). Anatomy of reality: The merging of reason and
intuition. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
Tattersall, I. (1998). Becoming human: Evolution and human
uniqueness. San Diego: Harcourt Brace and Company.
Wright, R. (2000). Non zero: The logic of human destiny. NY:
Pantheon.
Web links and sources for authors of quotes at the beginning of

chapters
Baum, L. F. (1900). The wonderful wizard of Oz. Chicago: George
M. Hill Company.
Big Wooden Radio http://www.bigwoodenradio.com/
Tracy Chapman http://www.tracychapman.com/
Chicago http://www.chicagotheband.com/
Donna the Buffalo http://www.donnathebuffalo.com/
Bob Dylan http://www.bobdylan.com/
Sister Hazel www.sisterhazel.com
Higgins, C. (Writer/Producer), Mulvehill, C. B. (Producer), &
Ashby, H. (Director). (1971). Harold and Maude [Motion
picture]. United States: Paramount Pictures.
Contact
Gordon Rowland, PhD
Professor of Communications
Roy H. Park School of Communications
Ithaca College
Ithaca, NY 14850
rowland@ithaca.edu
(607) 274-1031
http://faculty.ithaca.edu/rowland/

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Guiding

Copyright 2004 by Bela H. Banathy & Gordon Rowland

3. Where did we come from?

4. Where are we going?

5. Can I make a difference?

6. How can we create the future?

What do you think is the most significant discovery that

The greatest discovery thus far is how we human beings

Ours is a time of wonder and excitement. We live in a time

This is the most heinous of crimes

The sky is falling

Every day we hear someone say that actions proposed by

How many times have we heard such warnings, then found

So why should we pay any attention to those who claim that

We should worry because we’re starting to get it and what we

Sure, we can debate about the severity and timetable of

Consequently, we face some hard choices. We can bet that

away. Instead, our only reasonable choice is to take charge—to

Evolutionary consciousness – knowing about change

we do are different as well.

Until recently, this evolutionary process was very slow.

In the past few centuries there has been an enormous shift in

There are several key concepts that are important to

When we choose to farm in a particular way and to plant

water running through, which changes the content of the stream

When we drive a gasoline-powered automobile we support

We can capture and better understand these sorts of

This can be very useful. For example, seeing how things

of an economic system). To police it represents a way to patrol a

This is understandable since we can’t see all connections and

A second concept that is important to understanding

But why is diversity so important? It’s not just political

We are describing these principles because many of our

Conscious evolution — changing on purpose

On the other hand, we already have the ability to do this

conditions in which we live. We now evolve by choice, and this

Our understanding of evolution combined with our ability to

So, should we worry? Yes we should. Is worrying enough?

Core Ideas of Chapter 2

responsibility—we now know that the future is up to us, and we

A. Think of anything that happened to you in the last week. Ask

B. Pick up a newspaper and read any article about a governmental

3. Where did we come from?

The time’s they are a changing

Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore

other characteristics that were not as useful.

This chapter is about what these scientists have learned, but

We’re picking up the story very late—only 5-7 million years

Our early ancestors

continued to adapt and survive. This splitting might be caused by a

Starting from the tree trunk and moving upward (forward in

Recently, scientists have found fossil evidence that over four

The next of our ancestors were Homo Habilis, appearing

groups, and they cooperated with each other, for example, to

Homo Erectus was larger than Habilis. In fact, Homo Erectus

The species that followed Erectus are, therefore, considered

A second descendent of Erectus, not our direct ancestor

Modern Humans – The First Generation

the Neanderthal failed to adapt and disappeared, the Archaic

The Second Generation

We maintained this basic farming way of life for 6,000-7,000

Gathering in high-density settlements led to interconnections

communication networks, specialized classes of occupations, and