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The Home of Evolutioneers

What is an Evolutioneer? Why are Evolutioneers Critical to a Better Planetary Future?

An Evolutioneer is a new kind of 21st-century pioneer and change agent who works to forward the progressive evolution of life. Evolutioneers often also consider themselves Universe Citizens, planetary citizens, or global citizens. Evolutioneers also see themselves as Universe Citizens. They are individuals who transcend and include the freedoms and responsibilities of state, national, and planetary citizenship. 

Evolutioneers honor the scientific validity of evolution and the usefulness of evolution's time-tested wisdom and meta-principles. 

An Evolutioneer's mission is to use the meta-principles and wisdom of science and evolution to:

a.) help resolve humanity's greatest threat multiplying, disruptor and adaptive challenge caused by the accelerating global warming extinction emergency. (Click here for our Job One For Humanity Plan that helps do this.)

b.) work to resolve our other 11 greatest global challenges which are also now rapidly worsening.

c.) create more Sustainably Prosperous lifestyles and livelihoods, and

d.) co-create a more sustainable, equitable, and meaningful future for ALL of humanity,

Evolutioneers have also learned that evolution is:

a.) "science's greatest discovery,"

b.) the best documented "theory of everything" that currently exists, 

c.) the most trial and error tested and eons-of-time proven --- success system that has ever existed and that,

d.) The meta-principles of universe evolution are also the best keys to both problem solving and day-to-day sustainable personal success in practical ways. These same meta-principles are also capable of dramatically evolving and enhancing the economy, the society, our political systems, the environment, and if you are of a spiritual nature, even our current religions.

Think of Evolutioneers as individuals who wisely, intentionally, and consciously evolve things using evolution's core meta-principles to do it wisely and sustainably! The very word Evolutioneer itself implies both the ideas of planned and conscious advocacy followed up by real action in the world!

Once an Evolutioneer gains a good working understanding of the essential meta-principles and tools of the principles of progressive evolution they are highly motivated to use them to evolve the conditions of life at their chosen level of evolutionary interaction (personal, group, business, religion, nation, planetary, or universe levels.)

To call oneself an Evolutioneer and to not be intentionally applying the principles of evolution in the world to improve the quality of existence and forward the progressive directionality of evolution would be a contradiction in terms.

"Our loyalties are to the species and the planet. We speak for Earth. Our obligation to survive is owed not just to ourselves but also to that Cosmos, ancient and vast, from which we spring." Carl Sagan

What is unique to Evolutioneers is that --- in everything that they do to intentionally and consciously evolve and improve their personal success in life and improve the world around them, they do it by using and grounding their actions in:

1.) the principles of progressive evolution seen with a multidisciplinary whole systems approach,

2.) the principles of sustainable prosperity,

3.) the principles of the Universe Evolutionary Worldview,

4.) the principles of responsible universe citizenship,

and, (if they are of a spiritual nature,)

5.) the principles of the open-source, Evolution Spirituality.

Evolutioneers also use, teach and integrate the skills of the following four modern, postmodern and post-postmodern thinking systems into their evolutionary strategies and actions: 

a.) multidisciplinary rational/analytical thinking used in scientific experimentation and methodology,

b.) systems thinking,

c.) meta-systemic dialectical thinking. and

d.) integral multi-perspectivalism.

Types of Evolutioneers:

There are different kinds of Evolutioneers depending upon what they focus their actions upon. The different kinds of evolutioneers are:

a.) personal evolutioneers, (They focus on their own intentional and conscious evolution or helping others to intentionally and consciously evolve using the tools and evolutionary principles mentioned on this page.)

b.) group or business evolutioneers, (They focus on helping groups and businesses to intentionally and consciously evolve using the tools and evolutionary principles mentioned on this page. Evolutioneers are often the most effective when they bring their Universe Evolutionary Worldview perspectives and principles to inform and upgrade the current strategies of groups and organizations.)

c.) planetary evolutioneers, (aka Planetary citizens or global citizens. They focus on helping large social organizations, religions or nations to intentionally and consciously evolve using the tools and evolutionary principles mentioned on this page.)

d.) universe evolutioneers, (aka Universe citizens. They focus on helping humanity as a species envision the evolutionary future intentionally and consciously and then evolve out into the universe using the tools and evolutionary meta-principles mentioned on this page.)

Evolutioneer Social Activism:

Evolutioneers always maintain a sense of humility and open inquiry. They know that science is not always correct and that scientific facts themselves evolve and change. They act on the best currently available science while still knowing that much about the area they are working in is still unknown. They honor the fact that predicting changes in complex adaptive evolutionary systems is always fraught with unpredictable and non-linear consequences. 

Right now the single most important social activism program for Evolutioneers is the Job One for Humanity Climate Re-Stabilization Plan. Click here to find out what it is and why it is currently Job One for Humanity.

New Evolutioneer Communities

There are already communities of individuals applying different levels of the Evolutioneer vision forming all over the world. They also often call themselves by other names such as social activists, futurists, Collaborative Commons advocates, change agents, progressives, open society, Internet and culture advocates, planetary citizens, cultural and economic entrepreneurs, Third Industrial Revolution advocates, cultural creatives, innovators, education and social pioneers, evolutionists, evolutionaries, sustainability advocates, planetary citizens, scientists, environmentalists, cosmists, evolutionary transhumanists, artists, spiritual progressives, eco-spirituality advocates, agnostics, atheists, humanists or members of the Millennial, Integral, Evolver, Wayseer or Maker movements. There are so many people from so many different movements interested in using the new Universe Evolutionary Worldview and its Evolution 2.0 tools because its science grounded worldview and new tools better underpin, validate and justify both their actions and the importance of their own movements and perspectives on why we have to evolve collectively to something new to build a better world.

If you would like to know more about joining or setting up your own Universe Community of Evolutioneers. click here.

Evolutioneers and New Technologies:

Evolutioneers will use technology to improve themselves and the world. To do it wisely Evolutioneers have assembled a comprehensive and nuanced position on the proper use of technology and new technologies. As Evolutioneers our position on any powerful or potentially dangerous new technologies such as genetic engineering, biotech, nanotech, cyberetics, creating artificial intelligence or artificial life, cyborgs, clones, human chimeras, and many old technologies like nuclear energy is as follows:

1.) We need to always first evaluate applying any new technologies and their capabilities from the two ever-present, controlling and conditioning universe evolution meta-perspectives. These universe evolution meta-perspectives are;

a.) do these technologies and their capabilities first forward the directionality, values, and goals for evolution in the universe and,

b.) do these technologies and their capabilities also forward the directionality, values, and goals for the evolution of humanity as a species over long periods of time (i.e. decades, centuries, millennia,) and if they do forward the evolution of humanity are they also still in alignment with the directionality, values, and goals of universe evolution.

In other words, we must align and use all new technologies to become a source of positive contribution to the forwarding of the progressive evolution of the universe and toward the emancipation of our full human evolutionary potentials.

2.) We must intentionally and consciously guide and limit the capacities of new technologies with the best ethical procedures, scientific safeguards, and international laws our brightest and best minds can offer. (We can use advanced computer simulations to help us locate problems, some unforeseen consequences and minimize, but not eliminate mistakes.)

3.) We must base or use these new technologies on scientific facts that pass the strict falsification rigors of scientific methodology.

4.) Because we are still an almost adolescent species in evolutionary time scales and because we can be easily blinded by a non-multidisciplinary techno-optimism, we must exercise great caution with new technologies, but not with progress choking caution that stops all intelligent or necessary risk. (We are an adolescent species in that our self-reflection or self-consciousness, which separates us from our ape-like ancestors, seems to have appeared about 40,000 years ago. Forty thousand years is barely a blink in relation to the time it took many of our ancestors to emerge into their near-final forms.)

5.) We must remain humble toward the limits and promises of new technologies. This is because in the life and Earth systems where many of these technologies will be applied --- these systems are complex adaptive systems and not simple non-biological mechanical machine systems. In complex adaptive systems the results and consequences are often unpredictable and non-linear and, --- they contain many unforeseeable system tipping points. This means that in spite of our best ethical procedures, scientific safeguards, advanced computer modeling, or new international laws there still will ALWAYS be unforeseeable accidents, calamities, and devastating catastrophes --- just as there have been throughout human history all with new technologies and evolution's own many experiments. Our job is to limit these catastrophes as much as possible by using the Precautionary Principle (now part of the law in many European countries,) as well as the wisdom and humility of humanity's total knowledge base when exploring the many benefits of these potentially very dangerous new areas.

6.) While using these new technologies to work with and align with the deep patterns of the universe's progressive evolutionary processes we must not attempt to inappropriately control, overwhelm or bypass those ancient, controlling, conditioning, and time-proven universe evolutionary meta-processes. If we try to do this we will most likely not get good results or we will suffer many even worse side effects. In new technology applications the "Aikido approach" will generally be better and do less natural destructive creation damage than the "charging bull in the china shop approach." 

7.) Where ever and whenever possible we must apply the new technologies of genetic engineering, biotech, nanotech, cyberetics, creating artificial intelligence or artificial life, cyborgs, clones, etc by wisely and skillfully also using the guiding principles of the Appropriate Technology Movement. This includes making new technologies affordable for all and equally available to all so as to not create or expand an unfair "have" and "have not" separation in users choosing to avail themselves to the new technologies and their benefits.

8.) We must not use these new technologies as a rationalization to continue to ignore our own species' mistakes and not correct them in more appropriate ways that deal with our actions being the causes. Such as continuing to pollute the atmosphere with carbon from fossil fuels because someday there may be nanotech, biotech, or other adaptive new technologies to clean the carbon out of the air. (Carbon from fossil fuels causes global warming and climate de-stabilization.)  And,

9.) Participation in and with new technologies must be by individual choice and option and must not be coerced or forced by governments or businesses. Particularly in this area, we need to maintain the critical balance between individual rights and responsibilities and group rights and responsibilities. And finally,

10.) We need to remain open to the fact that at some point in the future an old or new technology may possibly become exactly what we critically need for:

a.) some essential aspect of our species' survival or, for

b.) our next stage of biological and/or cultural evolution as a species or, for

c.) releasing our full human potentials or, for

d.) releasing the universe's full evolutionary potentials.

In fact, at some point in humanity's future, it is all but inevitable that humanity as a species will seek to and will eventually transcend its biology and biological limitations in major ways. (In many small ways we are already doing this in many forms already.)

One important reason why we may eventually need to transcend the biology and biological limitations of our human forms as they are now is that they are not well adapted to space travel. And, unless humans are substantially biologically modified it will be artificial intelligence (AI,) robots that will be doing most of the deep space exploration for us far into the future.

Another reason we may want to transcend and help our human biology is that our biological nature and its limitations too often unconsciously condition our emotional and psychological reactions and actions. As evidenced repeatedly by human history, this unconscious biological conditioning results far too often in our individual and collective determent.

While there are natural techniques and disciplines for controlling or rising above then unconscious conditioning of our biological nature through things like present tense meditation, de-biasing meditation as well as training in scientific methodology, rational/analytical thinking, systems thinking and dialectical meta-systemic thinking few in the history of humanity have attained these abilities consistently while under high duress or high self-interest and, of the very few who did attain them to a high degree, far less ever held positions of power that could prevent ongoing social, political and economic catastrophes caused by the unconscious biological conditioning of individual or collective emotional and psychological reactions. 

We are not suggesting here that new technology solutions should replace all-natural solutions to our biological limitations. What we are saying is that we should remain open to the probability that at some point new technology solutions will be available and be safe and that they will develop in parallel with ongoing refinements in natural solutions to our biological limitations. We are saying that transcendence and new emergence from other species (speciation,) is a natural part of universe evolution and as such we must logically envision and begin exploring what will transcend our own species and evolve in parallel and potential cooperation with it. 

We see new technology areas being researched and well managed by Evolutioneers with necessary ethical guidelines, scientific safeguards, and international law so that humanity can safely and wisely explore, create and evolve in these areas in a way that assigns appropriate rights and responsibilities and healthy boundaries to each new area of new technology creativity and innovation.

Evolutioneers' Must-Read Book List:

Evolution 2.0 and the new Universe Evolutionary Worldview is being adopted by individuals, (Evolutioneers,) groups, and organizations at an ever-increasing pace. The reason is simple. They both convey tremendous survival, sustainability, and quality-of-life success advantages for those that understand them.

The following suggested reading lists will lay out Key materials and a few of the authors, thinkers, and research resources behind Evolution 2.0 and the new Universe Evolutionary Worldview. (Please note: Quite a few, but not all of the facts, aspects, and perspectives of the new Universe Evolutionary Worldview have also been previously known as the Great Story, The Evolutionary Epic, The Big History, The Science Creation Myth, and the Universe Story.)

In the Evolution 2.0 movement, we consider the individuals, authors, and teachers listed below our honor roll of important and originating Evolutioneers for either or both Evolution 2.0 ideas and the Universe Evolutionary Worldview. Please also note that among these various individuals and organizations listed below there are significant differences in approach, emphasis, and content, and not all below hold ALL of the key and core Evolution 2.0 and Universe Evolutionary Worldview perspectives.

Key Books and Resources to Help You Understanding Evolution 2.0, the Universe Evolutionary Worldview and the Core Vision and Perspectives of Evolutioneers, Planetary and Universe Citizens and the Universe Community

The Part A list of secular science books below are key foundational Evolution 2.0 reading. They are foundational because without understanding the biological and cosmological science surrounding evolution it would be difficult to honestly call oneself an Evolutioneer or act effectively using the Universe Evolutionary Worldview's meta-principles.

These first Evolution 2.0 books describe the essential biological and cosmological over-viewing science and they contain the basic information that will inform (or realign,) one's sense of individual and collective origin, identity, and purpose. They also describe or imply in less formal ways many of the science-grounded evolutionary meta-principles for a sustainable and thriving life. 

You will also notice that the list of objective science books just below comes before the lists of subjective evolutionary philosophical or spiritual evolutionary books because objective progressive evolution "science's greatest discovery," is primary and foundational to understanding Evolution 2.0 and all of the other aspects of life. To put the more subjective nature of evolutionary philosophy or evolutionary religion before knowing the hard objective science and principles of evolution would definitely be putting the cart way before the horse.

Finally, the book lists sections below are arranged by category and in levels of difficulty (B) beginner, (I) intermediate, and (A) for the advanced. For optimal understanding in each section begin reading with the first book listed. Later readings are often significantly enhanced by the foundation gained from the earlier readings. 

You can also use these book lists below as a checklist for your personal development as an Evolution 2.0 Evolutioneer. We also strongly recommend that you get at least through all of the Part A list evolutionary science reading before going on to the other Part B evolutionary philosophy, religion economics, social sciences, and other related books farther down the page.

Part A: The Essential Science Reading of Evolution 2.0:

Level 1: Beginner Science on Evolution 2.0

1. EarthDance: Living Systems in Evolution by Elisabet Sahtouris. This book is great for a basic scientific understanding of the "big picture" basics of how the whole universe has evolved over the last 13.7 billion years. It is an interesting and amazing read of how evolution shows us over and over again that it is not "survival of the fittest," but the survival of the most wisely cooperative. This book also contains the core of the new Genesis story used within the Universe Evolutionary Worldview and movement to help us inform (or realign,) our sense of individual and collective origin, identity, and purpose as Evolutionaries.

2.) Evolution For Everyone by David Sloan Wilson. A remarkable book that will help you to start to think like a science-grounded evolutionary and show you how important understanding evolution and evolutionary science is to your daily life success!

3.) View from the Center of the Universe by Joel Primack and Nancy Abrams. (The books View from the Center of the Universe and View from the Center of the Universe constitute one of the most accurate and complete statements of the common and shared cosmology and the "new" genesis story currently held within the Universe Evolutionary Worldview. Joel Primack is a renowned physicist famous for his dark matter work.

4.) Thank God for Evolution! How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World by Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow. (This is an optional read in this section if you have a strong Judeo-Christian background. It is based on science but frames things to integrate a religious perspective where possible. It is an easy, fast read that will also provide many of the basic new Universe Evolutionary Worldview perspectives, but it should not be substituted for the three other readings just above.)

Level 2: Intermediate Science on Evolution

1.) Evolution's ArrowThe Direction of Evolution and the Future of Humanity, by John Stewart. (This also is an essential part of the Universe Evolutionary Worldview summarizing the key elements of evolution's progressiveness.)

2.) The Universe Principles of Sustainability by Lawrence Wollersheim. (The Universe Principles are a daily living statement of the natural and universal values and "ethical guidelines" found within the principles of the universe's progressive evolution and are the core new operational ethics of both evolutionaries and the Universe Evolutionary Worldview.) 

3.) On Human Nature by Harvard biologist E. O. Wilson. The book tries to explain how different characteristics of humans and society can be explained from the point of view of evolution. He explains how evolution has left its traces on the characteristics which are the specialty of the human species like generosity, self-sacrifice, worship and the use of sex for pleasure. The book is considered an effort to complete the Darwinian revolution by bringing biological thought into social sciences and humanities.

4.) The following article is a quick but complex summary of the principles of the progressive directionality and trajectory of evolution and life by Lawrence Wollersheim.

5.) Maps of Time, An Introduction to Big History by David Christian. This book and these Big History CDs provide a multi-disciplinary look at all of the universe's evolution including a detailed human history. This progressive evolutionary work is finally being taught in universities around the world.)

Essential Intermediate Thinking Skills for Understanding Evolution's Complex Adaptive Systems and Processes: (This list assumes the reader has already familiarised themselves with basic logic and scientific methodology.)
 
1.) Thinking in Systems by Donella H Meadows. This is a good intermediate-level read on System theory. One definitely needs to understand both systems theory as well as dialectical meta-systemic thinking to better understand complex adaptive evolutionary systems.
 
Level 3: Advanced Science on Evolution (We strongly recommend that you first read levels one and two above before going on to any of the reading below this level three science.)

1.) See the Evolution 2.0 Master FAQ on this Website by clicking here.

2.) The Evolutionary Manifesto, Our Role in the Future Evolution of Life by John Stewart. This paper contains what do we need to do to become an effective practicing Evolutioneer once you have better understood the deeper directionality of evolution as well as its core principles from the readings above.

3.) Design for Evolution: Self-Organization and Planning in the Life of Human Systems, Erich Janstch. Definitely a big picture analysis of Evolution and its guiding principles.

4.) Evolving Hierarchical Systems, Stanley N. Salthe (Perspectives on hierarchy in evolutionary systems. Dense and challenging reading but well worth it for an enlightening understanding of how evolution uses appropriate hierarchy effectively when and how needed.)

5.) The Self-Organizing Universe: Scientific and Human Implications of the Emerging Paradigm of Evolution, Erich Janstch. (Lots of advanced science on progressive evolution and its self-organizing qualities.)

Essential Advanced  Thinking Skills for Understanding Evolution's Complex Adaptive Systems and Processes: (This list assumes the reader has already familiarised themselves with basic logic and scientific methodology.)

1.) Measuring Hidden Dimensions of Human Systems by Professor Otto Laske. Probably no single book has done so much to forward the new complex meta-systemic dialectical thinking that is necessary for more fully understanding the complex adaptive systems within evolution, life, and reality on meta-systemic levels! No single book on how to think and the new meta-systemic levels of thinking is more urgently needed to better manage our complex living and non-living systems and to help resolve the complex adaptive systems-related problems of the world today. This book is so important to the future it should be required to read and study by every key decision-making individual in governments and corporations around the world. (Please click here for a full review of this difficult to read (but highly rewarding,) book.

Part B, Secondary Reading Resources of Evolution 2.0:

Evolution 2.0 and the New Economics of Sustainable Prosperity:

1.) The Zero Marginal Cost Society by Jeremy Rifkin. We cannot recommend this book enough because of its Evolution 2.0 compatible new vision of hope and practicality that this evolutionary book presents on the already here Third Industrial Revolution. This book will help you sustainably thrive in all the coming economic changes. (A must-read for every Evolutioneer.)

2.) The Third Industrial Revolution by Jeremy Rifkin. This book will help you better understand the principles of Sustainable Prosperity in the next reading item in this section. (A must-read for every Evolutioneer.)

3.) The Principles of Sustainable Prosperity. Here is where you will learn about the billions of new jobs that will be created in an Evolution 2.0 work that will create a sustainable prosperity for all. (A must-read for every Evolutioneer.)

4.) The Origin of Wealth: The Radical Remaking of Economics and What it Means for Business and Society by Eric D. Beinhocker. Over 6.4 billion people participate in a $36.5 trillion global economy, designed and overseen by no one. How did this marvel of self-organized complexity evolve? Not only is the evolution of our economic systems laid out, but also this book contains one of the best descriptions of the evolutionary algorithm. (The amazing evolutionary algorithm is how evolution optimal discovers of the most adaptive fitness strategies for a particular environment.) If you are an evolutionary and want to thrive, this absolutely is a very interesting must-read after you have your beginners and intermediate science books done in levels one and two above. (Intermediate to advanced level.)

Cultural Development in Evolution 2.0:

1.) Spiral Dynamics by Don Beck and Christopher Cowan. (This book will give you a great overview of how progressive evolution manifests itself in both individual and cultural development and how our various kinds of environmental conditions produce our values and adaption strategies to a greater or lesser degree. This book based on the work of Professor Claire Graves. It shows the stage by stage evolution of our cultures and helps you to see the different stages of cultural evolution achieved by different nations. It is a great overview of how we as individual humans and collectively as cultures have evolved to predictably adapt and change our values and behaviors to the many different environmental conditions and stressors in which we find ourselves in today's global world. It is a must-read on cultural evolution.)

Emotional Development in Evolution 2.0: (Intermediate Level)

1.) Measuring Hidden Dimensions: the Art and Science of Fully Engaging Adults by Otto Laske. (For the socio-emotional side for understanding the levels of current, possible, and potential socio-emotional human development.)

New Technologies and Evolution 2.0

1.) Evolution 2.0 Position Paper on New Technologies.

2.) Evolution 2.0 Position Paper on Evolutionary Transhumanism.

Evolution 2.0 and the Environment Particularly --- Global Warming and Climate De-stabilization:

1.) See the Evolution 2.0 based Job One for Humanity Climate Re-stabilization Plan.

Motivational Books About Becoming an Evolution 2.0 Evolutioneer:

1.) Human Purpose and Transhuman Potential: A Cosmic View for our Future Evolution by Ted Chu, Ph.D. (Available early 2014.) We see this book as the most motivating and inspirational overview of what it means to be a universe citizen and evolutionary. It is a must-read for every Evolutioneer! Ted presents the "next generation" specifics on what inspired conscious evolution in alignment with evolutionary science looks like. His vision of the future of evolution and humanity's role in it is well-grounded in history and science and it will stretch the vision of the biggest evolutionary thinkers and universe citizens. At Universe Spirit, we now recommend that every member reads this book as part of their intermediate level education on what it takes to be an authentic evolutionary and universe citizen forwarding evolution on Earth and then out into the universe.

2.) Life Rules by Ellen Laconte. A "best of class" book about bottom-up organic self-organizing democracy that harmonizes with the natural laws of closed system planetary evolution. This new model discussed in her book is much different than the top-down, power-influenced democratic governments driven on "growth economics" theories of infinite growth and infinite substitutability that we have today. (While our organization agrees with most of the ideas in this book, we do differ with the author on several issues and recommendations such as the importance of what we believe is the vital local community/global governance balancing in the critical and simultaneous role of international law and international governance to limit individual, local and regional excess and expansion while simultaneity educating about, aligning and enforcing essential minimal policies for the planetary common good and defense.)

3.) Dealing with the "Evolutionary Bottleneck" and the Transition in which Humanity Finds Itself.  The Global Heart Awakens: Humanity's Rite of Passage from the Love of Power to the Power of Love by Anodea Judith. If evolution is the Gods’ way of making more gods, as author Anodea Judith suggests, then how does an adolescent species evolve to the next level of its evolutionary development, where we hold god-like power on a planetary scale?  How do we overcome our inborn self-interest to focus on a trajectory capable of sustaining the evolutionary experiment far into the future? This beautifully written narrative follows humanity’s evolutionary journey to where we are today: standing on the threshold of individual and species initiation, poised between promise and peril. The current evolutionary bottleneck of environmental and social crises is nothing less than a metaphor for the initiatory birth canal to our future adulthood, whose pain and compression are forcing us into a new operating system. The next Great Awakening that must ensue follows the general trend of evolution: toward greater organization, cooperation, intelligence, creativity, capacity, and collaboration, as it appears both individually and collectively in virtually every social system we have. We recommend this book because it deals with transitional emotional, psychological, and spiritual issues (if you are of a spiritual nature,) of evolving a better and more progressive evolution-aligned world.

Evolutionary Activism:

1.) The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and tactics for changing your organization and the world, by Ronald A. Heifetz, Marty Linsky, and Alexander Grashow This is a great handbook for change agents and activists who need to achieve their goals in dynamic, complex adaptive environments.  It is specifically written for leaders in business organizations.  But its approaches and insights can be used effectively by evolutionary change agents who work in any kind of complex environment, at any scale.  It is therefore extremely useful for evolutionary activists who are setting out to build a global evolutionary movement and a unified planetary society.  To be truly effective, however, the approaches outlined by the book need to be combined with practices that build self-mastery and a capacity for meta-systemic/dialectical cognition.

2.) Reflections on Evolutionary Activism: Essays, poems, and prayers from an emerging field of sacred social change by Tom Atlee

Philosophical and Historical Aspects of Being an Evolutionary:

1.) A Brief History of Everything, Ken Wilber. This book is a great introduction to Wilber’s brilliant understanding of the evolution and development of physical, biological, human, and cultural systems, and of consciousness itself.  But as brilliant, insightful, and all-encompassing as Wilber’s synthesis is, it leaves much important work to be done by evolutionary thinkers.  Wilber attributes the upward thrust of evolution to Eros, a new cosmic force that is unknown to science.  Because he believes that this mysterious Eros sufficiently explains the evolutionary trajectory, Wilber’s perspective is largely that of a spectator.  He primarily restricts himself to describing the patterns of evolution, rather than trying to discover the specific mechanisms and processes that drive it onward and upwards. Understanding these mechanisms is of critical importance for evolutionary activists.  This is because it shows them how to actualize the next great steps in evolution on this planet i.e. how to actually go about developing higher consciousness and cognition, and how to actually organize a sustainable and cooperative global society.  Wilber’s extraordinary work is a strong stimulus for the development of an understanding of these mechanisms and processes. 

2.) Evolutionaries, Carter Phillips. A great and well-written overview and history of the evolutioneer and evolutionary movement that is heavy on the evolutionary philosophy and evolutionary religion and spirituality. (Please click here for our detailed review of this book.) 

3.) The Phenomena Of Man by Teilhard de Chardin. This book presents a convincing and coherent vision of evolution as a directional and progressive process.  De Chardin demonstrates the power of an evolutionary worldview by using his understanding of the trajectory of evolution to predict how humanity and life on this planet will evolve in the future.  Although Teilhard’s vision of the future is distorted by his religious beliefs, the book none-the-less demonstrates the potential of an evolutionary worldview to help guide our future evolution.  The book’s impact on mainstream evolution science was limited because it did not identify the mechanisms and processes that drive evolution along its trajectory.  Now, well over fifty years after the book was written, evolution science is beginning, at last, to fill in these gaps.

4.) Conscious Evolution Examining humanity's next step, Barbara Marx Hubbard. Barbara is possibly the leading student of Buckminster Fuller and his evolutionary visions of the future. (Also more geared toward the philosophical and spiritual aspects of the Universe Evolutionary Worldview. Motivating in a broad sense.)

5.) The Evolutionary Epic Science's Story and Humanity's Response, by Russell Genet, Brian Swimme, Linda Palmer, and Linda Gibler. (An optional reading great series of essays exploring various aspects of progressive evolution and the perspectives held within the new Universe Worldview.)

The Spiritual and Religious Aspects of Being an Evolution 2.0: (For readers of a spiritual nature...)

1.) Darwin's Cathedral: Evolution, Religion, and the Nature of Society by David Sloan Wilson. One of the great intellectual battles of modern times is between evolution and religion. Until now, they have been considered completely irreconcilable theories of origin and existence. David Sloan Wilson's Darwin's Cathedral takes the radical step of joining the two, in the process proposing an evolutionary theory of religion that shakes both evolutionary biology and social theory at their foundations. (If you are of a spiritual nature and want to be involved in any form of spirituality or religion incorporating evolutionary science, we strongly recommend reading this first! It will set down a good foundation for your exploration of the new forms of religion and spirituality that evolution is informing.)

2.) See the Religion 2.0 Master FAQ on this Website, "Religion 2.0 is the meta-religion of evolution." Do you want to know more about how evolution is creating a new meta religion that can be practiced by all?

3.) Process Theology, David Ray Griffin and John B. Cobb. (The Christian-focused marriage of science and spirituality and progressive evolution of the last 30 years.)

4.) The Life Divine, Sri Aurobindo, (He was an Oxford Scholar who discussed the progressive evolution of life and spirit in the universe. He is also considered one of the founding sources of some of the spiritual perspectives of the new Universe Evolutionary Worldview in the areas of spirit and consciousness. He writes most from an eastern religious perspective.) 

5.) The Universe StoryFrom the Primordial Flaring Forth to the Ecozoic Era--A Celebration of the Unfolding of the Cosmos by Brian Swimme. (This book also contains the core of the new Genesis story used within the Universe Evolutionary Worldview and movement to help us inform (or realign,) our sense of individual and collective origin, identity, and purpose as Evolutioneers. This is an optional read. It is more spiritual than EarthDance listed above and covers much the same material as EarthDance. In our opinion Earthdance is the better more comprehensive read for an understanding of the big picture basic science patterns of how the universe has evolved over the last 13.7 billion years.)

Essential New Work:

The Universe Principles of Sustainability, by Lawrence Wollersheim (See both Parts 1 and Part 2 of the new Universe Principles as well as the key links on those pages. The Universe Principles are a statement of the natural and universal values and ethical guidelines found within the universe's progressive evolutionary directionality and are the core ethics of the Universe Evolutionary Worldview.) Also Lawrence Wollersheim for his work on describing the new Universe Evolutionary Worldview and for creating this Universe Spirit website, and the Universe Institute.

Other Key Universe Evolutionary Worldview Multi-Media Resources and Organizations:

There are numerous participants in expanding the Universe Evolutionary Worldview into society. Acceptance is growing and increasing but slowly traditional educational organizations are beginning to see the value in teaching the core science essence and "biggest picture" perspective of the Universe Evolutionary Worldview.

The individuals or groups below add in their unique flavors, perspectives, insights, and unique skill sets. In addition to the materials and resources listed all over this website here are additional resources within our broad and open movement:

The International Big History Association, which seeks to understand the integrated history of the Cosmos, Earth, Life, and Humanity, using the best available empirical evidence and scholarly methods. Click here for links to all of the Big History players and materials.

The Evolutionary Studies Consortium (EvoS) is designed to facilitate the development and implementation of Evolutionary Studies Programs at colleges and universities across the United States. An Evolutionary Studies Program introduces students from all majors to evolutionary theory early in their academic careers, emphasizes human-related subjects in addition to biological, promotes the continuation of evolutionary training throughout the undergraduate education, and promotes faculty training and collaborative research related to evolution. They also have a tremendous amount of evolution science multimedia. Click here to see what they have.

Harvard University's Cosmic Evolution site, which also has great movie animations, and other multimedia materials on universe evolution and its importance.

The Evolution Institute connects the world of evolutionary science to the world of public policy formulation. For any given policy issue, we bring evolutionary experts together with other experts for respectful and constructive dialogue, resulting in a new agenda for basic scientific research, policy formulation, and policy implementation.
(Please note: The list of key Universe Evolutionary Worldview authors found above is not intended to be a complete list and if we have inadvertently missed anyone who also should be on this list please let us know.)

The National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) is a nonprofit science center dedicated to cross-disciplinary research in evolution. NESCent is jointly operated by Duke University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University, and is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

National Center for Science Education (NSCE)

Selected Articles and Commentary about Evolution by Donald Forsdyke

International Darwin Day Foundation

Evolution and the Nature of Science Institutes (ENSI/SENSI)

Evolution, Education, and Outreach

Applied Evolutionary Psychology Society (AEPS)

Northeastern Evolutionary Psychology Society (NEEPS)

The Evolutionary Review: Art, Science, Culture

Evolution: This View of Life

Feminist Evolutionary Psychology Society (FEPS)

Understanding Evolution

Big History Lectures:

 
What Is Our Place in the Cosmos?, David Deutsch, July 2005, TED Talks
Earth in its Final Century?, Martin Rees, July 2005, TED Talks
  Wright Lecture Series on Cosmic Evolution
   
  Earth History in the Broadest Possible Context. Walter Alvarez, April 29, 2010, 97th Annual Faculty Research Lectures, University of California at Berkeley.
- Four-part lecture by Craig Benjamin on Big History
- Christian Matthiessen -- Language evolving: Notes towards a semiotic history of humanity on YouTube.
  Speaking Up: The Origins of Language, Lowell Gustafson
- David Christian on Big History
-  
  (The book list above will be added to regularly as new books come out or older books are nominated for inclusion. Some of the book suggestions and content on this page were provided by John Stewart.)

Other Key Resources on the Universe Evolutionary Worldview for Evolutioneers:

There are numerous participants in expanding the Universe Evolutionary Worldview into society. Acceptance is growing and increasing but slowly traditional educational organizations are beginning to see the value in teaching the core science essence and "biggest picture" perspective of the Universe Evolutionary Worldview.

The individuals or groups below add in their unique flavors, perspectives, insights, and unique skill sets. In addition to the materials and resources listed all over this website here are additional resources within our broad and open movement:

The International Big History Association, which seeks to understand the integrated history of the Cosmos, Earth, Life, and Humanity, using the best available empirical evidence and scholarly methods.

The Evolutionary Studies Consortium (EvoS) is designed to facilitate the development and implementation of Evolutionary Studies Programs at colleges and universities across the United States. An Evolutionary Studies Program introduces students from all majors to evolutionary theory early in their academic careers, emphasizes human-related subjects in addition to biological, promotes the continuation of evolutionary training throughout the undergraduate education, and promotes faculty training and collaborative research related to evolution.

Harvard University's Cosmic Evolution site, which has great movie animations, and other multimedia materials on universe evolution and its importance.

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More Information On Evolutioneers:

For more information on Evolutioneers and Universe Citizens, click here.

Click Here to read more about the Universe Evolutionary Worldview.

For more information about our mission of supporting Evolutioneers, click here.

(Additional Notes: The practices of Evolutioneers are currently significantly different than the actions of what the Integral movement is currently calling Evolutionaries. Evolutionaries appear to be more focused upon integral philosophy and integral or evolutionary spirituality. In general, in the Integral movement, there is minimal current evolutionary science being actively promoted in its appropriate, objective, and foundational position to the Integral movement's subjective and inter-subjective Integral philosophy and integral or evolutionary spirituality. Additionally, the Integral movement as it exists now is not really much of an activist movement.

It is possible that at some time in the future those individuals who currently call themselves Evolutionaries will adopt more of an objective evolution science foundational grounding and balance and become more activist like Evolutioneers who integrate all three areas. Evolution science [as the objective foundation,] with subjective philosophy [and religion for those of a spiritual nature.] For more on this objective and primary science grounding vs. subjective philosophy/religion grounding and balance issue click here.)

 

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