Towards a New Metaphysics of Cosmic Evolution

This work proposes a new model for cosmic evolution, arguing that the universe is a multi-dimensional entity or "system," evolving through time according to the dictates of the universal laws of thermodynamics, which govern all energy exchanges in nature. It further argues that the course of biological evolution cannot be explained by an appeal to a single principle, like "survival of the fittest," suggesting instead that its causes are both numerous, and varied. It offers a brief epistemological critique of the principle of natural selection and explains how the over-all course of biological evolution might be subsumed under the same laws which govern the course of cosmic evolution. Finally, it explores some of the metaphysical consequences of this new perspective, including the simultaneity of existence across dimensions, the teleological nature of all physical laws, and the corresponding idea that the future causes the past. The proposed new perspective allows for a multiplicity of causes of biological evolution, including the natural influences of entropy on genetic recombination, one-time impact and near-impact events in space, and the possibility of interference by forces in different dimensions.