Cumulative, Adaptive, Open-ended Change through Self-Other Reorganization: Reply to comment on 'An evolutionary process without variation and selection'

Fuente: arXiv
Enregistré dans:
Détails bibliographiques
Auteurs principaux: Gabora, Liane, Steel, Mike
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2024
Sujets:
Accès en ligne:
Tags: Ajouter un tag
Pas de tags, Soyez le premier à ajouter un tag!
_version_ 1866914966969253888
author Gabora, Liane
Steel, Mike
author_facet Gabora, Liane
Steel, Mike
contents Self-Other Reorganization (SOR) is a theory of how interacting entities or individuals, each of which can be described as an autocatalytic network, collectively exhibit cumulative, adaptive, open-ended change, or evolution. Zachar et al.'s critique of SOR stems from misunderstandings; it does not weaken the arguments in (Gabora & Steel, 2021). The formal framework of Reflexively Autocatalytic and foodset-derived sets (RAFs) enables us to model the process whereby, through their interactions, a set of elements become a 'collective self.' SOR shows how the RAF setting provides a means of encompassing abiogenesis and cultural evolution under the same explanatory framework and provides a plausible explanation for the origins of both evolutionary processes. Although SOR allows for detrimental stimuli (and products), there is (naturally) limited opportunity for elements that do not contribute to or reinforce a RAF to become part of it. Replication and cumulative, adaptive change in RAFs is well-established in the literature. Contrary to Zachar et al., SOR is not a pure percolation model (such as SIR); it encompasses not only learning (modeled as assimilation of foodset elements) but also creative restructuring (modeled as generation of foodset-derived elements), as well as the emergence of new structures made possible by new foodset- and foodset-derived elements. Cultural SOR is robust to degradation, and imperfect replication. Zachar et al.'s simulation contains no RAFs, and does not model SOR.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_05294
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Cumulative, Adaptive, Open-ended Change through Self-Other Reorganization: Reply to comment on 'An evolutionary process without variation and selection'
Gabora, Liane
Steel, Mike
Populations and Evolution
Neurons and Cognition
Self-Other Reorganization (SOR) is a theory of how interacting entities or individuals, each of which can be described as an autocatalytic network, collectively exhibit cumulative, adaptive, open-ended change, or evolution. Zachar et al.'s critique of SOR stems from misunderstandings; it does not weaken the arguments in (Gabora & Steel, 2021). The formal framework of Reflexively Autocatalytic and foodset-derived sets (RAFs) enables us to model the process whereby, through their interactions, a set of elements become a 'collective self.' SOR shows how the RAF setting provides a means of encompassing abiogenesis and cultural evolution under the same explanatory framework and provides a plausible explanation for the origins of both evolutionary processes. Although SOR allows for detrimental stimuli (and products), there is (naturally) limited opportunity for elements that do not contribute to or reinforce a RAF to become part of it. Replication and cumulative, adaptive change in RAFs is well-established in the literature. Contrary to Zachar et al., SOR is not a pure percolation model (such as SIR); it encompasses not only learning (modeled as assimilation of foodset elements) but also creative restructuring (modeled as generation of foodset-derived elements), as well as the emergence of new structures made possible by new foodset- and foodset-derived elements. Cultural SOR is robust to degradation, and imperfect replication. Zachar et al.'s simulation contains no RAFs, and does not model SOR.
title Cumulative, Adaptive, Open-ended Change through Self-Other Reorganization: Reply to comment on 'An evolutionary process without variation and selection'
topic Populations and Evolution
Neurons and Cognition
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.05294