Abstract
Naturalism, in both its Darwinian and post-Darwinian forms, is concerned with evolution. Evolution requires both something that evolves (the “positive” side of evolution) and some forces that make up the selection pressures that contribute to the elimination of unfit forms (the “negative” side of evolution). In Spinoza's notion of “conatus” I wish to find a metaphor for the “positive” principle of evolution. In Darwin's notion of “natural selection” we find the metaphor for the “negative principle.” Both negative and positive principles are necessary to bring about the possibility of real-life evolution.
Highlights
Naturalism, in both its Darwinian and post-Darwinian forms, is concerned with evolution
In Spinoza's notion of “conatus” I wish to find a metaphor for the “positive” principle of evolution
Perhaps the principle of "conatus" can explain how physical, biological and mental processes share a mode of operation – arise, as they do, from a fixed set of laws of nature
Summary
Naturalism, in both its Darwinian and post-Darwinian forms, is concerned with evolution. Accepted: Introduction: Between Negative and Positive Notions of Naturalism – Spinoza and Deacon In Spinoza's notion of “conatus” I wish to find a metaphor for the “positive” principle of evolution.
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