On the evolutionary dynamics of complexity and consciousness
Frontiers in Complex Systems January 6, 2026 Shimon Edelman 1 citation
The debate over whether evolution has a direction—specifically, whether living systems grow more complex over time—has been revived by arguments that increasing complexity is consistent with the thermodynamic growth of entropy. This paper reviews formal definitions of complexity and the evolutionary mechanisms that can drive its increase. It then proposes that the evolutionary emergence and individual learning of basic phenomenal awareness (a type of consciousness) follow the same time-asymmetrical dynamics. Like life, biological consciousness arguably evolves toward greater complexity for the same underlying reasons.