Mind-Body Solution cover image

Terrence Deacon: Did Mind Emerge From Matter? Origin of Life, Causal Emergence, & Descartes' Shadow

Mind-Body Solution

NOTE

The Dynamics of Constraints in Evolutionary Processes

Evolution operates not just through natural selection as a subtractive process that removes elements, but also through the addition of constraints that shape variations. This perspective redefines the concept of evolution by emphasizing the work involved in generating these constraints. Natural selection is intertwined with thermodynamics; life must create excess to enable the removal of certain elements. Variations arise from existing structures, emphasizing that life is characterized by a complex interplay of maintaining and generating constraints. As organisms function, they establish specific chemical interactions, limiting the myriad of possible outcomes. The cessation of life releases these constraints, allowing a broader range of chemical reactions to occur—showing that death leads to freedom for chemical interactions previously restricted by living processes. Thus, life is fundamentally about the active construction and maintenance of constraints that direct chemical possibilities.

00:00
Transcript
Play full episode

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
App store bannerPlay store banner