This is a Preprint and has not been peer reviewed. This is version 1 of this Preprint.
A unified systems model for evolution. Implications for human behaviour and survival
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Authors
M Lynn Lamoreux,
Dorothy C Bennett 
Abstract
Here we present a systems-based and unified theory of evolution, more consistent with biological complexity than previous unified models, and addressing popular misconceptions about ‘survival of the fittest’ that have contributed to overcompetitive and overaggressive attitudes in our social and economic systems. These attitudes have played an important part in the global metacrisis of today. We show here how evolution not only of life on earth, but also of matter and energy ever since the Big Bang, shows common features. These features can be understood in terms of natural systems increasingly nesting into higher systems, with net increases in complexity, diversity and information over very long times, within the lineage leading to our present terrestrial biosphere. These increases were energized initially by the expansion of the universe and the resulting ongoing fall in temperature, and later on Earth by local energy from the sun and the planetary core. The relationship of every evolving system to its environment is also crucial in evolution. To date we know of no other life in the Universe, making our biosphere immeasurably rare and precious, yet its life is now in danger from human activity and ecological overshoot. While better understanding does not always lead to better decisions, still if some of those with power over our commercially oriented, global human social system (which we call the corposystem) can gain an appreciation of the unified working of evolution and the colossal complexity and interdependence of this planet’s living systems, on which we entirely depend, humanity and higher life on earth may have a better chance of surviving the current global crises.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.32942/X2ST1D
Subjects
Life Sciences
Keywords
corposystem, biosystem, evolution, model, selectable information, metacrisis, overshoot
Dates
Published: 2026-10-09 07:23
Last Updated: 2026-10-09 07:23
License
CC BY Attribution 4.0 International
Additional Metadata
Conflict of interest statement:
None
Data and Code Availability Statement:
Not applicable
Language:
English
Metrics
Views: 375
Downloads: 39
Comment #357 Steven Earl Salmony @ 2026-10-22 13:51
In an email from Prof. Dot Bennett, she kindly pointed out that the article does not intend to "reject Darwin’s original idea of survival of the fittest, with fit meaning suited to the environment, only the common misunderstanding of the term as meaning strong or aggressive."
Comment #355 Steven Earl Salmony @ 2026-10-15 13:42
The article proposes a unified theory of evolution that covers not just life, but also matter and energy since the Big Bang. It argues that the evolutionary process follows common patterns across physics, chemistry, and biology, with systems constantly combining into larger, more complex ones over time. Energy from the Universe's expansion, the sun, and Earth's core drives this increasing complexity. The authors reject the idea of "survival of the fittest," saying it wrongly encourages cut-throat activities in business and throughout Western civilization that contribute dramatically to the current metacrisis. Lamoreux and Bennett suggest that every system depends on its environment and that Earth's life is incredibly rare and precious. They stress that unbridled human enterprise now threatens the integrity of Earth as a resilient habitat for the continuation of life.