EVOLUTION AND THERMODYNAMICS - THE NEW PARADIGM (REPRINTED FROM SYSTEMS-RESEARCH, VOL 6, PG 181-186, 1989)

This paper introduces the new evolutionary paradigm born of the synthe sis of Darwinism and thermodynamics. It also introduces this volume, w hose theme is the integration of life and social process with physical law. The sense of this expansion is as follows: Darwinism has come un der intense scrutiny in recent years, from several fields. These range from statistical mechanics to developmental biology. In this paper, I will discuss the direction the revision of the Darwinian program is t aking through thermodynamics, which is the science of irreversible pro cess and self-organization. My objective is to show the coherence of l ife with the rest of nature. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.