• how one individual organism transforms over many generations
  • into a new higher-level individual organism
• he called this the "movement of individuality"
• It has also come to be known as
  • major transitions
  • major evolutionary transition (MET)
  • evolutionary transitions in individuality
• grandson of Thomas Huxley
• brother of Aldous Huxley (Brave New World)
• wrote The Individual in the Animal Kingdom (1912)
• advocated for closed, independent systems with harmonious parts
• endorsed gradients of individuality
• "closure is never complete, the independence never absolute, the harmony never perfect"

quote

• "it is as if man had been suddenly appointed managing director of the biggest business of all the business of evolution appointed without being asked if he wanted it and without proper warning and preparation what is more he can't refuse the job whether he wants to or not whether he is conscious of what he is doing or not he is in point of fact determining the future direction of evolution on this earth that is his inescapable Destiny and the sooner he realizes it and starts believing in it the better for all concerns"
• Julian Huxley

Comment

• Huxley was prescient in making this observation,
  • as our species
    • cumulative cultural evolution, and
    • the impact of our niche construction
    • https://jonudell.info/h/facet/?max=100&expanded=true&user=stopresetgo&exactTagSearch=true&tag=cumulative+cultural+evolution
  • does now indeed more or less determine the entire course of evolution of life on earth