Title: On the Foundations of the Theory of Evolution Show Chinese title

Title: 论进化理论的基础

Abstract: Darwinism conceives evolution as a consequence of random variation and natural selection, hence it is based on a materialistic, i.e. matter-based, view of science inspired by classical physics. But matter in itself is considered a very complex notion in modern physics. More specifically, at a microscopic level, matter and energy are no longer retained within their simple form, and quantum mechanical models are proposed wherein potential form is considered in addition to actual form. In this paper we propose an alternative to standard Neodarwinian evolution theory. We suggest that the starting point of evolution theory cannot be limited to actual variation whereupon is selected, but to variation in the potential of entities according to the context. We therefore develop a formalism, referred to as Context driven Actualization of Potential (CAP), which handles potentiality and describes the evolution of entities as an actualization of potential through a reiterated interaction with the context. As in quantum mechanics, lack of knowledge of the entity, its context, or the interaction between context and entity leads to different forms of indeterminism in relation to the state of the entity. This indeterminism generates a non-Kolmogorovian distribution of probabilities that is different from the classical distribution of chance described by Darwinian evolution theory, which stems from a 'actuality focused', i.e. materialistic, view of nature. We also present a quantum evolution game that highlights the main differences arising from our new perspective and shows that it is more fundamental to consider evolution in general, and biological evolution in specific, as a process of actualization of potential induced by context, for which its material reduction is only a special case. Show Chinese abstract

Abstract: 达尔文主义将进化视为随机变异和自然选择的结果，因此它基于一种唯物主义的，即以物质为基础的科学观，这种观点受到经典物理的启发。 但在现代物理中，物质本身被认为是一个非常复杂的概念。 更具体地说，在微观层面上，物质和能量不再保持其简单的形式，提出了量子力学模型，在这些模型中除了实际形式外，还考虑了潜在形式。 在本文中，我们提出了一种替代标准新达尔文进化理论的理论。 我们认为，进化理论的起点不能仅限于被选择的实际变异，而应根据上下文考虑实体的潜在变异。 因此，我们开发了一种称为“上下文驱动的潜在实现”（CAP）的形式化方法，该方法处理潜在性，并描述实体的进化为通过与上下文反复相互作用实现潜在性的过程。 正如量子力学中一样，对实体、其上下文或上下文与实体之间相互作用的不了解会导致与实体状态相关的不同形式的不确定性。 这种不确定性产生了非柯尔莫哥洛夫的概率分布，这与达尔文主义进化理论所描述的经典概率分布不同，后者源于一种“以现实为中心”的，即唯物主义的自然观。 我们还提出了一种量子进化博弈，突显了我们新视角带来的主要差异，并表明一般而言，特别是生物进化，作为由上下文引起的潜在实现过程更为根本，而其物质还原只是特殊情况。