5.3 The concept of universal evolutionism

We present the general scheme of evolutionary processes that is valid for all three levels of organization of the material world - inanimate (inert) matter, living matter and society. It is remarkable that, due to the natural laws of development, these processes are directed towards complicating the organization of Nature and the growth of the diversity of forms (morphogenesis). To describe the process of self-organization, it is convenient to use the Darwinian triad language: variability, heredity, selection.

New quality features of the system appear due to variability. The latter is caused by stochasticity, random changes in the system, the occurrence of fluctuations. The terms given are somewhat different in content, but they are all suitable for identifying the cause of that phenomenon, which is called variability.

In a developing system, there is always a dependence on the past, i.e. both the present and the future depend on it. This dependence can be conventionally called the heredity of the system, and the latter is associated with memory. Memory is usually limited, but examples of extreme states can be cited, i.e. infinite and zero memory. In deterministic systems, memory is infinite: here the present determines the future, and the past - the present. For example, the movement of the planets and celestial mechanics in general is a system with infinite memory, at least in a finite time interval. An example of a system with limited memory is weather. The weather remembers its previous state no more than two, three weeks. There may be systems without memory, for example, developed turbulence: according to a given distribution of vortices in a turbulent flow, it is impossible to draw a picture of the previous state.

Further, principles of selection reign in the world, allowing one to choose from a set of possible virtual states a certain set of permissible ones. Among the selection rules, first of all, include conservation laws, the law of entropy growth in an isolated system, and some others. In other words, the laws of selection are the laws of physics, chemistry, biology, the laws of social development, which are selected from the virtual movements by those we observe. The principles of selection allow bifurcation states in the system, from which a transition to many new states is possible. Here the further evolution becomes unpredictable.

The above general principles of evolution, suitable for inert, living worlds and social systems, are appropriately called universal evolutionism. So, in the world there is a synergistic process at all levels, that is, a process of self-organization.

Due to the action of the mechanisms of the bifurcation type, the irreversibility of evolution follows, which is equivalent to the irreversibility of time.

An important consequence of empirical generalizations is the assertion that stochastics and bifurcations lead, in the process of evolution, to the continuous growth of world forms, to morphogenesis. Nature makes it possible for new forms of organization of matter to appear, these forms, as it were, potentially prepared by it, but the details of the process are unpredictable.

Natural structures are constructed discretely, i.e. systems and subsystems can be distinguished, and their behavior can be described both by equilibrium and non-equilibrium models, i.e. to combine classical thermodynamics (thermostatics) and thermodynamics of nonequilibrium processes (TNP). This combination is called macrothermodynamics. Recall that classical thermodynamics does not operate with time as a parameter; TNP, on the contrary, includes time among its parameters. Thermodynamics considers three types of systems: isolated, closed and open. In isolated systems there is no exchange of the system with the outside world neither matter nor energy; in closed systems there is an exchange with the medium of energy, but there is no exchange of matter; in open systems, the system exchanges with the environment both energy and matter. Open systems can be close to an equilibrium state and far from it. If the system is close to the equilibrium position, then the processes in it are described by linear equations; it excludes the emergence of self-organization. And only in far from equilibrium open systems are possible new dynamic states of matter (dissipative systems) leading to self-organization.

The mathematical description of processes in such systems requires the use of nonlinear equations. The simplest mathematical model of evolution is presented here, and one of the equations of evolution, the so-called. "Ferhulst dynamics" led scientists to qualitatively new views. The same equation can give both monotonic, and periodic, and chaotic, and "destructive" solutions. And what equations are is a way of describing the surrounding world. So if any system, the machine functions stably now, then this does not guarantee stability at all times. So with the dynamics of Verhulst we strongly recommend you to read to all readers.

Dissipative structures are peculiar to:

• the growth of fluctuations arising up to the macro level;
• self-organization due to the export of entropy;
• the appearance of spatial and temporal order;
• transition to an ordered state at the critical value of a certain parameter at the bifurcation point;
• the impossibility of predicting at the bifurcation point the direction of development of the system.

We repeat that dissipative structures are highly ordered formations in open systems that are far from equilibrium; they are unstable with respect to small fluctuations. Dissipative structures require, as opposed to equilibrium, for their existence a constant flow of energy from the outside. Prigogine describes the interaction of the old structural components (SS) with the new structural components (NA): the introduction of a small number of NA into the system leads to the emergence of a new network of interactions of its components. There is a competition of a new way of functioning with the old one. If the system is stable with respect to NA, then the latter perish. But with the rapid reproduction of the NA, the entire system is rebuilt to a new mode of operation. G. Haken believes that the emergence of macrostructures is caused by the birth of collective modes under the action of fluctuations or the selection of an adapted mode, or a combination of them.

We can distinguish a certain basic set of structures for dissipative systems:

• the propagation of a single excitation front (for example, the motion of a phase transition boundary);
• the spread of the pulse of a stable form;
• standing waves;
• spiral waves, rotating whirlwinds (reverb).