Intentional Evolution: A Hypothesis of Conscious Genetic Adaptation
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This work proposes a novel hypothesis of evolution: organisms may deliberately alter the genetic information transmitted to their descendants in response to environmental changes. Unlike Darwinian natural selection, which relies on random mutations filtered by survival advantage, intentional evolution suggests that life is capable of purposeful genetic adaptation. Organisms could integrate signals from their environment and internal states, modifying germline information to prepare offspring for anticipated conditions. This view places mortality itself as an adaptive mechanism: individuals reproduce, transfer deliberately adjusted genetic traits, and then die to ensure generational renewal. While highly speculative, this perspective opens a framework for reinterpreting biological evolution, epigenetic regulation, and the emergence of complex adaptive strategies. It calls for interdisciplinary exploration connecting evolutionary biology, epigenetics, systems theory, and philosophy of life.
Author: Sousa, Diogo
Language: English
Subfield: History and Philosophy of Science
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7082440736
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