Natural philosophy and developmental systems

Natural philosophy is being revived by way of grounding it in thermodynamic s and information theory. This discourse systematizes information from all the sciences so that every field of knowledge of nature supports every othe r as parts of a concept of general evolution. The point is to construct an intelligible picture of the world. Change in material systems involves both development and evolution. General evolution is primarily developmental, a nd the specification hierarchy of integrative levels can be used to model i t. In this hierarchy, biology is seen as a kind of material system, and soc ial phenomena as kinds of biological systems. This pattern implies there wa s a tendency toward psychology on the earth. This scheme is biased by havin g been produced by psychological, social, biological beings, integrating hu mans with the rest of nature, and so it embodies valuation. Natural philoso phy welcomes values in its constructions. There has never been a culture wi thout an origination myth; general evolution, as constructed within natural philosophy, differs by referring to its own genesis within a picture of th e genesis of the world. Copyright (C) 2001 International Society for the Sy stems Sciences.