Bruce Edmonds wrote:
> I am pondering (I don't have a final answer).
>
> Can *all* self-organisational processes be seen in evolutionary terms?
>
> i.e. does every self-organisaitonal process involve:
> a) some unit that is, fairly reliably persistent or duplicated
> b) some process that produces variations on these units
> c) some process of selection acting on these units
>
> Take an example: Kauffman's binary networks. Although it appears to be
> a non-evolutionary process and it is certainly qualitatively different
> to the biological evolutionary process, it can be seen as an
> evolutionary process thus:
> a) the unit is the self-exciting loop in the network
> b) the variation is introduced by loops triggering other loops
> c) the selection is those (collections of) loops that cohere in
> the sense that they reliably cause their own excitation
>
> Am I merely streaching the term "evolutionary" to much?
>
> Can anyone supply a clear counter example?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Regards.
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> Bruce Edmonds,
> Centre for Policy Modelling,
> Manchester Metropolitan University, Aytoun Bldg.,
> Aytoun St., Manchester, M1 3GH. UK.
> Tel: +44 161 247 6479 Fax: +44 161 247 6802
> http://bruce.edmonds.name