Complexity and Evolution

ISBN-13: 9780521454001 / Angielski / Twarda / 1996 / 158 str.

Max Pettersson;Joseph Needham

Opis

This unique book ranges across the physical, biological and social sciences in the development of its primary theme, that there are nine major "integrative levels" that can be recognized. The term integrative levels was first used by Joseph Needham in 1937, and has two key features. The first is that members of a given integrative level are unified entities and the second is that a member of one level is commonly composed of parts that are members of the next lower level. Thus fundamental particles form Level 1 while Level 9 is that of sovereign states. This theme has been developed by Max Pettersson in a book that explores the many links among the physical, biological and social sciences, reaching wide-ranging and sometimes unexpected conclusions.

Recenzje

"...this brief book serves its purpose if it provokes the reader to develope a more critical synoptic view of the whole shebang. I recommend it." Arthur Falk, The Quarterly Review of Biology

Spis treści

Foreword by Joseph Needham; Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Natural and other hierarchies; 2. Major integrative levels; 3. Some logarithmic forms of display; 4. Physical range of integrated natural entities; 5. Biological range of integrated natural entities (part one); 6. Biological range of integrated natural entities (part two); 7. Social range of integrated natural entities; 8. Human societies (part one); 9. Human societies (part two); 10. Acceleration in evolution; 11. Further allied accelerations; 12. Aspects of number; 13. Aspects of man; 14. Positive skewness; 15. Quantitative conclusions; Bibliography; Index.