The concept of conscious evolution is sometimes associated with certain luminaries’ personal evolutionary journeys. The central objective is to achieve a globally sustainable future by developing the idea that humans can guide evolution, now that we are conscious of it (evolutionary consciousness). One of the earliest uses of the phrase 'conscious evolution' may be that of
Mary Parker Follett in 1918:
"Conscious evolution means giving less and less place to herd instinct and more to the group imperative. We are emerging from our gregarious condition and are now to enter on the rational way of living by scanning our relations to one another, instead of bluntly feeling them, and so adjusting them that unimpeded progress on this higher plane is secured.
" (
The New State, p. 91) Human evolution, has thus far been the consequence of billions of random events and chance interactions (as opposed to a planned endeavour). Given that humans have knowledge of this evolutionary process (evolutionary consciousness) it is the task of humanity to take control of these random changes, to avoid the '
disastrous fate' (extinction) that has befallen the majority of species that have ever existed.
Jonas Salks
Atlee suggested that many of the factors of
co-intelligence (wisdom, intentionality, choice, awareness) could be used as tools to enhance consciousness and improve shared circumstances.
Eric Chaisson similarly identified ‘knowledge’ and ‘compassion’ as key guiding forces for the future, stating in 1987 that we must “act wisely, quite beyond intelligently, in order to achieve successful ethical evolution”. She has claimed that: “Every tendency in us leads us toward greater wholeness, unity, and connectedness... Integration is inherent in the process of evolution.” In an otherwise positive review of her 1998 book
Conscious Evolution; Awakening the Power of Our Social Potential, Scott London commented that much of the evidence provided was
“soft” and
“anecdotal”. ==Further reading==