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We can close here by connecting our discussion to the broader issue of
history and evolution, and then this in turn to the Kantian issues with which we
began, of the metaphysical contraband concealed by Darwinian theory.
The point is simple: we see that we must be in search of the other level of
evolution that we have concluded must be present, and this we suspect will be
visible as 'non-random evolution'. The tenacity of the Darwinian claim to random
evolution stands as the basis of the confusion Darwin's theory creates, because
the micro aspect of the selectionist process is blind to the future and simply
leaves 'evolution' to follow random outcomes.
We suspect that a larger process is at work, probably in tandem, or
complementary to this process, and that we must therefore see if we can discover
it.
The problem, of course is that if evolution is random it will be slow,
continuous, and easy to observe. Its complement, we should guess, is likely
therefore to be fast, discontinuous and hard to observe. If it is fast and
discontinuous, then we may be misled by the surface spectacle of deep time
where, due to the assumption of continuity, we allow ourselves a generalization
about large intervals, indeed very large intervals, millions of years in length.
The complementary intervals may be invisible because, if they are fast, they are
very much shorter, and thus without any record at all that we can so far
detect.
In fact, it might be that evolution in our sense is just at the threshold of
temporal manifestation, hence virtually invisible to the naked eye, save in the
momentum generated by its short durations.
The problem seems hopeless, but it is history itself that gives us the
clue.
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