Intelligence in Evolution?

Quite simply, the answer is none. Zero. Zlich. Given a scientific methodology that relies exclusively on sensory empiricism, there just isn’t any way that science could produce data to confirm the presence or absence of “intelligence” or “consciousness.”

The most we can conclude from physics, cosmology, and evolutionary sciences is that it seems plausible to infer that there is (or at least could be) an intelligence at work in the evolution of the cosmos and life on our planet. This is the heart of the debate between “intelligent design” vs. random evolution.

On the one hand, religious creationists propose that God’s hand is guiding the evolution of species. On the other hand, modern scientists deny there is any intelligence directing evolution, and claim life evolves through natural selection of random genetic mutations.

“Intelligent design” is presented by creationists as scientific evidence for God. But the intricate complexities found in evolution provide no such evidence.

Here’s the problem: consciousness (and all its attributes, such as “intelligence”) is nonphysical. That means it cannot be measured. That means it is not amenable to scientific investigation (using the currently preferred and restricted scientific methodology of sensory empiricism).

In a word: There is no “consciousness meter,” no “mindalyzer,” to detect “evidence” of intelligence. We may reason or infer philosophically or theologically that there must be some intelligence at work in evolution, but that does not amount to scientific evidence.

Science cannot provide evidence to either support or reject the notion of intelligence at work in evolution. We need to turn to philosophy to make the case; and, according to panpsychism, the most coherent account of how conscious living systems came to be is to assume that some kind of intelligence is intrinsic to matter itself.

Matter is adventurous. And what we call “evolution” is matter exploring its own vast potentials.