On Human Origins: A Bahá’í Perspective

1990 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 45-58
Author(s):  
Craig Loehle
Keyword(s):  
Human Evolution ◽  
Spiritual Development ◽  
Developmental Process ◽  
Human Origins ◽  
Literal Interpretation ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Baha'i Faith ◽  
Divine Origin ◽  
The Individual

The question of human origins has been one of the major points of conflict between scientific and religious views. The scientific account of human evolution poses difficulties for those who demand a literal interpretation of scripture and believe in a special, divine origin for humanity. These difficulties are resolved by the Bahá’í writings, which view human evolution, spiritual development in the individual, the advancement of civilization, and the progress of religion as all representing a single fundamental developmental process and spiritual principle underlying all of creation. Rather than being in conflict with the theory of evolution, the Bahá’í Faith itself incorporates an evolutionary worldview.

scholarly journals Rethinking the theory of evolution: New perspectives on human evolution and why it matters for Theology

2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Wentzel Van Huyssteen
Keyword(s):  
Human Evolution ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Niche Construction ◽  
Gene Pools ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Human Origins ◽  
Religious Imagination ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Genus Homo ◽  
Evolutionary Success

This article addresses the issue of human imagination from the perspective of ‘niche construction’ in the wider discussion about ‘what makes us human’ and what it means to be a ‘self’, specifically for the Christian faith and for theology. In the article, a brief review of human origins and human evolution demonstrates the path and substantive impact of changes in behaviour, life histories and bodies in our human ancestors and us as humans ourselves. In the interactive process of niche construction, potentially changeable natural environments were, and are, acting continuously on variation in the gene pools of populations, and in this way gene pools were modified over generations. It is argued that a distinctively human imagination is part of the explanation for human evolutionary success and can be seen as one of the structurally significant aspects of the transition from earlier members of the genus Homo to ourselves as we are today. There is thus a naturalness to human imagination, even to religious imagination, that facilitates engagement with the world that is truly distinct. This provides fruitful addition to the toolkit of inquiry for both evolutionary scientists and interdisciplinary theologians interested in reconstructing the long, winding historical path to humanity.

scholarly journals Tragedy of homo faber and hopes of homo humanus

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Human Evolution ◽  
Spiritual Development ◽  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Self Development ◽  
The World ◽  
Spiritual Self ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Homo Faber

The article discusses the role of Homo Faber’s human labor in the development of civilization, the development of a human himself as a thinking being (Homo sapiens). The fact of the deep crisis of Homo Faber, fixed in fiction and philosophical studies, is stated. The attempts of representatives of the “school of human relations” to intensify the motivation and creative activity of Homo Faber are analyzed. The factors of modern production that contribute to the destruction of the spirituality of the individual and the degradation of Homo Faber are revealed. The possibilities of his spiritual development, concluded in the model of Homo Humanus, giving hope to Homo Faber for a better destiny, are considered. Possible ways of development of Homo Faber are explored: the use of personality selfdevelopment resources, human adaptation to civilized tectonic shifts, as well as the variant of managing human evolution. The strategy of evolutionary change includes: the goal that is to form Homo Spiritus (spiritual man), as the highest form of Homo Humanus. It determines the choice of means of managerial influence - using a powerful arsenal of education, science and modern technology, allowing significant expansion of space exploration, the microworld, consciousness and, having received innovative knowledge about the world, to cause cathartic processes in the human soul, to form the desire for spiritual ascent. The process of influencing on human consciousness is planned to be carried out taking into account the main stages of spiritual self-development definition. Thus, at the stage of a person formation – to bring up spiritual qualities (curiosity, cordiality and diligence), at the stage of personality formation - spiritual (openness to the world, intelligence and creativity). At the stage of self-assertion in life, to achieve the integration of the processes of increasing the plasticity of a personality, as an ability to manifest a state of spirituality in various spheres of being, and spiritual concentration, as the depth of the world perception. At the stage of self-realization of the personality, to support the desire for transcendence and the fullness of self-expression. Using the principles of the concept of continuous development and relying on the arsenal of the possibilities of the lifelong concept of lifelong education affirmed in society, to counteract the spiritual degradation of the individual. Aiming to intensify aspirations in spiritual self development, the author suggests studying the academic discipline “Fundamentals of Human Evolution”, the content of which consists of interrelated sections, each of which is intended to ensure the emergence of a certain modification of the spiritual image of the personality: Homo wondering (person surprising, revealed to the world), Intelligent Populous (person of intelligent), organically combining Homo Cogitate (a person capable of deep reflective critical thinking) and Homo Responsible (a person in charge), Homo Inspired (human inspired to create), creating together the image of a human of spiritual noospheric future – Homo Spiritus.

scholarly journals Information about Human Evolution: An Analysis of News Published in Communication Media in Spanish between 2015 and 2017

Publications ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Jon Ander Garibi ◽  
Alvaro Antón ◽  
José Domingo Villarroel
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Human Evolution ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Print Media ◽  
Biological Evolution ◽  
Knowledge Dissemination ◽  
Communication Media ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Scientific Journalism

The present study examines a sample of 220 pieces of news related to human evolution, written in Spanish and published over a period of two years, both in digital and print media. The aim of this study is to assess the rigor and coherence of the information in the news in our sample with scientific knowledge on the theory of evolution. To this end, errors and the incorrect use of concepts related to biological evolution are identified, classified according to criteria resulting from the review of previous studies, and finally, the frequency of errors identified in news published in print media is compared with that identified in digital media. The results presented allow us to highlight the significantly high frequency of errors in the news analyzed and the most frequent error categories. Results are discussed within the frame of the important role that scientific journalism plays in the processes of knowledge dissemination, in this case, related to human evolution.

Biology and Behaviour in Human Evolution

1991 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phyllis C. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Human Evolution ◽  
Human Behaviour ◽  
Archaeological Record ◽  
Human Origins ◽  
Biological Perspective ◽  
Patterns And Processes ◽  
Reductionist Approach

Of the diverse approaches to understanding patterns and processes in human evolution, a focus on the biology of behaviour using principles derived from the non-human primates may have some utility for archaeologists. This article seeks to outline some biologically-based areas that could prove fruitful in exploring the origins of human behaviour within the archaeological record. It attempts to initiate a dialogue between biologists, even with their limited understanding of the problems facing those working with human origins, and archaeologists, in the hope that this dialogue will move beyond a simple reductionist approach towards the goal of integrating behaviour into a more sophisticated biological perspective.

Comprehensive assessment of the citizen wellbeing in the territory of residence: taking into account the changing influence of indicators economic security

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 491-502
Author(s):  
Alexsandr Kuklin ◽  
Sergey Okhotnikov
Keyword(s):  
Spiritual Development ◽  
Diagnostic Technique ◽  
Federal District ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Degree Of Satisfaction ◽  
Current Assessment ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Individual

The article considers a generalizing characteristic of the citizen's wellbeing in the territory of residence, assesses indicators based on statistical data, and makes adjustments due to safety indicators. The author's diagnostic technique was used, which includes corrective indicators. For this purpose, the method of express diagnostics was applied, which made it possible to select the 8 most significant from 12 modules and 43 indicators of economic security. The rate of change of each of the 8 indicators was taken into account, which made it possible to determine the changes in these indicators and the predisposition to one degree or another of the socio-economic crisis. A change in the trend of an indicator can lead to the opposite effect at the expense of other main influencing indexes. This takes into account the borderline state of the indicator, namely, its rate of growth or decline and predisposition to a particular crisis zone. The turning zones of the trend of changes in indicators have been determined. The object of the research is the well-being of the individual in the territory of residence for each subject of the Ural Federal District. The authors made an attempt to consider in the analysis not just the population of the subject (the number of people), but also to assess the personality from the standpoint of moral development, the level of education, the available opportunities for spiritual development, the provision of benefits necessary to maintain life and the degree of satisfaction of the needs of the population. This will allow to carry out the current analysis of the state, but also to consider the forecast dynamics of change for the next 2 to 3 years. The results obtained can be used in the current assessment of the socio-economic situation in the regions of Russia, as well as in planning and forecasting individual indicators of individual citizen wellbeing in the territory of residence

Sources of morphological variation and organization within and among populations of Balsamorhiza sagittata

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. A. Robson ◽  
R. K. Scagel ◽  
J. Maze
Keyword(s):  
Open Systems ◽  
Second Law Of Thermodynamics ◽  
Population Diversity ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Balsamorhiza Sagittata ◽  
Two Populations

Comparisons of differences between morphological means of individual plant parts indicate that the greatest source of variation in two populations of Balsamorhiza sagittata is the individual plants within populations; within-population diversity is greater than among-population diversity. Variable covariance and correlations differ between individual plants and there are subgroups of interrelated variables that can be tied to developmental phenomena. The relationship between developmental phenomena and these groups of variables suggests a relationship between organizational, as reflected in variable interrelationships, and ontogenetic variation. These results are not adequately explained by neoDarwinian theory but are explained more comprehensively by a theory of evolution that views biological change over time as an intrinsically driven self-organization, accompanied by an increase in complexity (a manifestation of the "Second Law of Thermodynamics" as it applies to open systems).

scholarly journals It Cuts Both Ways: An Annelid Model System for the Study of Regeneration in the Laboratory and in the Classroom

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica G. Martinez Acosta ◽  
Fausto Arellano-Carbajal ◽  
Kathy Gillen ◽  
Kay A. Tweeten ◽  
Eduardo E. Zattara
Keyword(s):  
Wound Healing ◽  
Developmental Process ◽  
Recovery Of Function ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Model System ◽  
Regenerative Capacity ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Complete Replacement ◽  
Successful Recovery ◽  
The Individual

The mechanisms supporting regeneration and successful recovery of function have fascinated scientists and the general public for quite some time, with the earliest description of regeneration occurring in the 8th century BC through the Greek mythological story of Prometheus. While most animals demonstrate the capacity for wound-healing, the ability to initiate a developmental process that leads to a partial or complete replacement of a lost structure varies widely among animal taxa. Variation also occurs within single species based on the nature and location of the wound and the developmental stage or age of the individual. Comparative studies of cellular and molecular changes that occur both during, and following, wound healing may point to conserved genomic pathways among animals of different regenerative capacity. Such insights could revolutionize studies within the field of regenerative medicine. In this review, we focus on several closely related species of Lumbriculus (Clitellata: Lumbriculidae), as we present a case for revisiting the use of an annelid model system for the study of regeneration. We hope that this review will provide a primer to Lumbriculus biology not only for regeneration researchers but also for STEM teachers and their students.

scholarly journals Scholarship and the Bahá’í Community

1988 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-38
Author(s):  
Moojan Momen
Keyword(s):  
Growth And Development ◽  
Spiritual Life ◽  
Individual Student ◽  
Good Fortune ◽  
Baha'i Faith ◽  
The World ◽  
History Of ◽  
Formal Basis ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Vast Range

As the Bahá’í Faith emerges from obscurity, Bahá’í scholars will have an important role in three fields: the presentation of Bahá’í Faith to the world; the defense of the Bahá’í Faith from attacks; and the intellectual growth and development of the Bahá’í community. This paper discusses the question of the place of scholarship in the Bahá’í community. The value of Bahá’í studies to the Bahá’í community is analyzed. The problems that may arise for Bahá’í scholars in relation to their own spiritual life and also in relation to the Bahá’í community are discussed. Some suggestions are then made with regard to the question of what academic approaches are most likely to be fruitful in the study of the Bahá’í Faith. Finally, consideration is given to the mutual obligations of the Bahá’í scholar and the Bahá’í community (in particular, the Bahá’í administrative institutions). Every Bahá’í who surveys the vast range of doctrines and concepts enshrined in the holy writings of the Bahá’í Faith or whose imagination is captured by the intensity of its brief history must, to some extent, be inspired to make a more thorough study of some aspect that interests him or her. To some is given the good fortune to have both the opportunity and inclination to put this study on a more formal basis. Whether this be at an institute of learning or through private study and research, there are many areas of the teachings and history of the Bahá’í Faith that invite painstaking research and thoughtful analysis. Such study is of great benefit to the Bahá’í community as a whole, quite apart from the immense satisfaction that it can bring to the individual student. There are also dangers in such study, particularly for the individual concerned, and often the extent of this danger is not appreciated by someone just setting out on such a course of study.

scholarly journals SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT OF LEADER - IS NECESSARY CONDITION OF HIS EVOLUTION

2021 ◽  
pp. 34-42
Author(s):  
Olexandr Romanovskiy ◽  
Valentyna Mykhaylychenko ◽  
Nina Semke
Keyword(s):  
Human Evolution ◽  
Spiritual Development ◽  
Necessary Condition ◽  
Future Leaders ◽  
Modern Era

the content of imposed on a person requirement of the modern era and the need for a new worldview are revealed. The content of the concepts “evolution” and “spirituality” is considered. The role of spirituality in human evolution and the formation of leaders’ worldview is shown. It was emphasized that leader’s worldview should be based on his broad humanitarian training, a new philosophy. The essence, approaches, methods of spiritual, moral and mental improvement and the role of the system of training, education and self-upbringing in the process of training future leaders are revealed.

Woman the Gatherer

2018 ◽  
pp. 133-142
Author(s):  
Erika Lorraine Milam
Keyword(s):  
Human Evolution ◽  
Animal Behavior ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Human Origins ◽  
Male Authority

This chapter considers the research of women anthropologists during this period. It shows how many anthropologists had fought to refute the picture of universal male authority implied by common narratives of human evolution were women, often at the very beginning of what turned out to be long, notable careers. Their research gave fuller form to a rhetorically powerful alternative to Man the Hunter in reconstructions of human origins—Woman the Gatherer. Like her partner, Woman the Gatherer found intellectual support in research on long-extinct human ancestors, studies of human cultures today, and animal behavior, with a new emphasis on field research among primates.

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