by Gerhard Adam

Created on: June 01, 2008   Last Updated: March 10, 2009

To consider the next phase of human evolution requires that we spend some time thinking about the selection pressure humans face.

Starting about 10,000 years ago, humans began a major departure from simple biological evolution by the introduction of agriculture. From this point, human history is marked by an increased use of technology to support population growth culminating in our present situation where over 6 billion people reside on this planet.

It should be noted that this technological exploitation is significantly different from the use of technology by individuals to the use of technology by groups. The vase majority of modern developments are well beyond the reach of individuals to exploit, and require a large labor pool that is dedicated to this advancement.

In order to achieve this level of technical use, societies have evolved to exercise a great deal of power over the individual since the development of large scale technologies is dependent on have a reliable, predictable group of people that can be used to contribute to this process. The ability to achieve this is dependent on society being able to coerce cooperation by depriving individuals of the access to the means of survival independently of the group.

The path of human evolution at this point has been one of shifting from the dynamics of a pack, such as that of wolves, to that of the anthill. In the "pack", each individual contributed to the group's direct survival, whereas in the anthill, while each member still contributes, the group survives quite well despite whatever may happen to select individuals.

Therefore the future of human evolution is first dependent on the success of the group, rather than the individual. Since the group is dependent on technology to assure its means of survival, the biggest consideration will be whether or not problems surface for which our technology cannot provide solutions.

While people are fond of pointing out various human achievements, in athletics, the arts, and the sciences, these are not legitimate examples of human evolution since they are not shared by the population at large. If the population is examined, we tend to find that there are large numbers of individuals that regularly die or are killed; however, these incidences are not occurring because of evolutionary pressures, but societal pressures. Therefore, the evolution of humans is pushing in the direction of selecting for human beings that are useful to the advancement of the group.

From this perspective, war can be seen as a natural selection tool which is employed by the various competing groups to advance their own position. While war may appear to be outside the scope of natural selection, it only appears that way because the means by which it can be exercised is so heavily developed technologically. The conflict between two societies is ultimately no different than the conflict between two bull elk. In continuing this comparison, the argument is often made that the elk are not intending to kill each other, but only attempting to assert their strength to gain mating privileges. This is equally true for human societies, which is that they are not interested in obliterating each other, but rather are attempting to assert their strength to gain access to resources or power.

Despite what many of us would like to believe, there is very little evolution of the individual human being that will make much difference into the future. The primary focus of natural selection is on the societal organism and the survival of individuals is now intimately linked in this process.

Learn more about this author, Gerhard Adam.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.