Give me Liberty or Give me Death!
The kingdom of heaven is within the mind of the person, not within the collective mindlessness of a crowd.
A. Huxley
The second law of thermodynamics elucidates the natural inclination of isolated systems to gravitate towards increasing disorder or entropy. Within the context of biological systems, complexity tends to escalate as we ascend the Tree of Life. Humans, being one of the most recent species to emerge, are often perceived as possessing the highest level of complexity. While this perspective may be rooted in human-centric thinking, it is essential to acknowledge the body of scientific literature suggesting an overall trend towards increasing complexity in evolution.
These evolutionary trends also manifest in various ecological contexts. For instance, the health and resilience of a reef ecosystem are commonly assessed by its biodiversity. Metrics such as species richness, relative abundance, species evenness, rare species, and coral cover provide insights into the state of a reef. High biodiversity and the presence of rare species are often associated with the capacity of reefs to effectively recover from disturbances. Conversely, a decline in species diversity is typically linked to reduced reef resilience and a shift towards dominance by seaweed.
Biological evidence consistently supports the notion that evolution favors more intricate and diverse systems. However, many despotic governments in reality choose to disregard these natural laws. Instead, they impose their own laws and strategies to exert control and order over inherently complex societies. Consequently, we witness the emergence of two distinct types of totalitarian worlds. The first faction resembles Orwell's dystopian society depicted in "1984," while the second echoes the terrifying vision of Huxley's "Brave New World." In both cases, the populace becomes entirely dependent on their ruler. The main differences are the methods enacted by the ruler to assert control over the two different factions – either through an active or passive mode of control.
Members of the faction resembling Orwell's dystopia are often comprised of the proletariat, including blue-collar laborers and those living below the poverty line. Due to their lack of basic necessities for self-actualization, they become highly susceptible to false hopes and the illusion of 'freedom' promised by tyrannical demagogues. Engaging in logical and rational discussions with these individuals proves challenging, as their motivations are primarily driven by emotions and unconscious instincts rather than logic. Appealing to their hearts, the tyrant adopts a highly dogmatic stance, disabling their ability to perceive truth. The masses are assembled and transformed into a homogeneous subhuman or automaton, devoid of individuality and incapable of intelligent action or sound judgment.
In contrast, members of the faction reminiscent of Huxley's vision operate in a more covert manner. Predominantly composed of the middle-upper class, this group poses a greater danger as they are often unaware or indifferent to the manipulations orchestrated by the dictator. Despite occasionally expressing frustration with the tyrannical government, they remain content in their current situation due to the temporary pleasures and privileges bestowed upon them. These individuals enjoy access to the so-called 'modern-day' allurements, including technology, social media, indulgent food, travel opportunities, euphoria-inducing substances, unlimited alcohol, and unrestricted sexual experiences. Similar to the Orwell-like faction, they are susceptible to falling for temptations offered by trends, cults, and herd mentality. The tyrant effectively controls and manipulates them by systematically reinforcing desired behavior and providing unlimited distractions that prevent them from acknowledging the crises unfolding both around them and within them. Huxley describes these individuals as those who cry out, "Give me television and hamburgers, but don't bother me with the responsibilities of liberty."
In both factions, we find ourselves submerged in a sea of harmful algal blooms (HABs), whose poisons are intolerable for the most vulnerable among us. These self-organizing groups hinder the progress of evolution and inhibit individuals from attaining inner freedom. It is understandable that breaking away from the herd is immensely challenging, as humans naturally form tribes or clans similar to wolves forming packs. Those who dare to deviate often risk losing the support and companionship of loved ones, friends, and family. However, the rewards awaiting those who venture into the depths of the universe are infinitely self-satisfying and liberating. In our limited time on Earth, we owe it to ourselves to find the strength to explore new horizons.
Perhaps, order is merely a mirror image of disorder, an enantiodromia. Nature may have its ways of momentarily containing order, but in due time, a tiny coral polyp will emerge, resilient against the poisons of the red tide. From this tiny coral polyp, new life and hope will branch forth.
References/ Further readings:
Adami, C., Friar, C., & Collier, T. C. (2000). Evolution of biological complexity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 97, 4463–4468.
Alvarez‐Filip, L., Reyes‐Bonilla, H., & Calderon‐Aguilera, L. E. (2006). Community structure of fishes in Cabo Pulmo reef, Gulf of California. Marine Ecology, 27(3), 253-262.
Arias-González, J. E., Acosta-González, G., Membrillo, N., Garza-Pérez, J. R., & Castro-Pérez, J. M. (2012). Predicting spatially explicit coral reef fish abundance, richness and Shannon–Weaver index from habitat characteristics. Biodiversity and Conservation, 21(1), 115-130
Bauman, A.G., J.A. Burt, D.A. Feary, E. Marquis, and P. Usseglio. 2010. Tropical harmful algal blooms: An emerging threat to coral reef communities? Marine Pollution Bulletin 60: 2117 – 2122.
Blackmore, S. (1999). The meme machine. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press.
Bonner, J. T. (1988). The evolution of complexity. Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press.
Darwin, C. (1859). On the origins of species by means of natural selection. London: Murray.
Gould, S. J. (1996). Full house: The Spread of excellence from Plato to Darwin. New York: Harmony Books.
Gomez, E. D., Alino, P. M., Yap, H. T., & Licuanan, W. Y. (1994). A review of the status of Philippine reefs. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 29(1-3), 62-68.
Heim, N. A., Payne, J. L., Finnegan, S., Knope, M. L., Kowalewski, M., Lyons, S. K., ... & Wang, S. C. (2017). Hierarchical complexity and the size limits of life. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 284(1857), 20171039.
Huxley, A. (2007). Brave new world. Ernst Klett Sprachen.
Huxley, A. (1958). Brave new world revisited. Harper & Brothers
Jones, G. P., McCormick, M. I., Srinivasan, M., & Eagle, J. V. (2004). Coral decline threatens fish biodiversity in marine reserves. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 101(21), 8251-8253.
Jung, C. G., Shamdasani, S. E., Kyburz, M. T., & Peck, J. T. (2009). The red book: Liber novus. WW Norton & Co.
Jung, C. G. (2014). The archetypes and the collective unconscious. Routledge.
Jung, C. G. (2010). Synchronicity: An acausal connecting principle.(From Vol. 8. of the collected works of CG Jung)(New in Paper). Princeton University Press.
Kateb, G. (2011). Human dignity. Cambridge: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
Kauffman, S. (2013). Evolution beyond Newton, Darwin, and entailing law: The origin of complexity in the evolving biosphere. In C. Lineweaver et al. (Ed.).
Laszlo, A. (2009). The nature of evolution. World Futures, 65, 204–21.
Nietzsche, F. (2008). Thus spoke Zarathustra: A book for everyone and nobody. Oxford University Press.
Nietzsche, F. W. (2018). Beyond good and evil (p. 179). Boni & Liveright, Incorporated.
Nietzsche, F. W. (1920). The antichrist (Vol. 3). AA Knopf.
Orwell, G., & Heath, A. M. (2003). Animal farm and 1984. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Wolpert, D. (2013) Information width: A way for the second law to increase complexity. In C. Lineweaver et al. (Ed.).
Zahl, S. (1977). Jackknifing an index of diversity. Ecology, 58(4), 907-913.