A Second Genesis: Stepping-stones Towards the Intelligibility of Nature

Contents......Page 16
Preface......Page 8
Acknowledgments......Page 12
1.1 An outline of the book......Page 20
1.3 A second “Genesis”......Page 21
1.4 Three stepping-stones towards the intelligibility of nature......Page 22
1.5 Recommendations to the reader......Page 23
2.1 The three branches of culture......Page 24
2.2 The growth of monotheism......Page 25
2.3 The emergence of science and philosophy......Page 26
2.4 Faith and reason......Page 29
2.5 The Enlightenment......Page 30
2.6 The unity of nature......Page 32
2.7 The evolution of culture......Page 33
2.9 What is needed to duplicate our intelligence?......Page 35
2.10 Constraints imposed by theology on our view of life......Page 36
2.11 Questions in philosophy, science and theology......Page 37
2.12 The anthropic approach and the emergence of life......Page 39
2.13 Is there evidence of purpose in evolution?......Page 40
3.1 The fitness of the environment......Page 44
3.2 Life appeared spontaneously in the remote past......Page 45
3.3 Philosophical issues related to life in the universe......Page 46
3.4 The question of design in biology......Page 47
3.5 Towards a general interest in the origin of life......Page 48
3.6 Cultural implications of life in the cosmos......Page 49
4.1 Convergence of the evolutionary process......Page 50
4.2 Is biology sufficient to discuss a second Genesis?......Page 52
4.3 Is fine-tuning related to a second Genesis?......Page 53
4.4 Reflections by theologians......Page 54
4.5 Naturalism in philosophy......Page 56
4.6 Non-foundational premises of Christian belief......Page 58
5.1 The concept of convergence in the life sciences......Page 60
5.2 Intelligibility of the cosmos according to Aristotle......Page 62
5.4 Intelligibility of the cosmos in the Middle Ages......Page 64
5.5 The Copernican revolution, Digges and Bruno......Page 66
5.6 Cosmogonical and cosmological models......Page 68
5.7 The cosmic microwave background......Page 69
5.8 From the composition of the universe to eventual insights into its destiny......Page 71
6.1 Cosmic pathways towards a second Genesis......Page 74
6.2 Astrochemistry......Page 75
6.3 The origin and evolution of the Solar System......Page 77
6.5 The terrestrial tree of life......Page 78
6.6 The evolution of life in the universe......Page 80
6.7 Pathways towards intelligence in the cosmos......Page 81
7.1 Convergence in the synthesis of the elements......Page 84
7.3 Convergence in the formation of interstellar gas......Page 85
7.4 The evolution of the Sun and the origin of life......Page 86
7.5 Convergence in the direct records of solar evolution......Page 87
7.7 The solar wind after the Genesis mission......Page 88
7.8 Space climate and the early earth......Page 90
7.9 Extra solar radiation during the evolution of life......Page 91
7.10 The search for life in the Solar System......Page 92
8.1 The universal driving force of evolution......Page 94
8.3 Convergence at the biochemical level......Page 95
8.4 The birth of chemical evolution......Page 96
8.5 The universality of the life sciences......Page 97
8.6 Convergence at the level of animals......Page 98
9.1 Introduction......Page 100
9.2 Is intelligence a universal phenomenon?......Page 101
9.3 Is cellular evolution bound to take place?......Page 103
9.4 Where can we search for a second Genesis?......Page 104
9.5 Habitability in the Solar System......Page 105
9.6 Implications of life in the cosmos in the humanities......Page 106
9.7 Ultimate implications of evolution in the cosmos......Page 107
10.1 Contingency and convergence in evolution......Page 108
10.2 Evolutionary history tends to repeat itself......Page 109
10.3 The ubiquity of convergent evolution......Page 111
10.4 The Solar System is not unique......Page 112
10.5 Can the universality of biology be tested?......Page 114
10.6 Searching for biosignatures in the Solar System......Page 116
10.7 A case for the search for a second Genesis in the Saturn system......Page 117
11.1 On the inevitability of biological evolution......Page 120
11.2 Evolution should be convergent in the cosmos......Page 121
11.3 Natural selection and convergent evolution......Page 122
11.4 Constraints on convergent evolution......Page 123
12.1 The dialogue between science and religion......Page 126
12.2 Is there a second Genesis in our Solar System?......Page 128
12.4 Future missions to Europa......Page 130
12.5 On the implications of Darwinism......Page 131
12.6 Darwinism, philosophy and theology......Page 132
12.7 On the progress of the different areas of culture......Page 133
13.1 A fruitful dialogue between science and religion......Page 136
13.2 Frontiers of the humanities......Page 137
13.3 Questions from the philosophical area of ethics......Page 138
13.5 Further insights into our origins......Page 139
13.6 Darwinism within natural theology......Page 141
13.7 Beyond the natural boundaries of science......Page 142
13.8 Some questions may escape the scope of science......Page 143
14.1 Intelligibility of nature: a cultural problem......Page 146
14.2 What is the likely destiny of life?......Page 149
14.4 Further thoughts on the universality of science......Page 151
14.5 A dialogue across the frontiers of science and the humanities......Page 153
Bibliography......Page 156
Abbreviations......Page 184
Glossary and Short Biographies......Page 188
Supplementary Reading......Page 226
Index......Page 238
The Author......Page 248