Reality, Evolution & Art
Reality is not a private opinion about reality. Reality is a written and unwritten story to which stories had been added for tens of thousands of years. A story in which fiction and non-fiction complement each other to make coexistence possible. A story in which everyone can recognize themselves, despite differences of opinion and view. The story of our lives that will never be completed. Not now, and not in the future.
That is why there is no reality that can be tested on the basis of unwavering and eternal laws and rules. Objectifying research into the processes that shape reality will therefore always have to move along with the expanding collective story. Truth finding is a derivative of that research.
We live in the story written by us collectively. All individual stories and actions refer to that story, including those from different cultures. There will always be more common ground than differences. Excluding the other, ignoring or worse, is denying one’s own past and origin. It undermines one’s own identity and endangers a society.
Separate from the writing of our collective story, evolution is forging its own path. Biological evolution has no interest in stories. Yet, human lifestyles can indirectly influence the evolutionary process. When we consider the broader implications of evolution and the development of human societies, art plays a role that should not be underestimated in shaping cultural evolution.
Artistic expression has been crucial in facilitating communication, fostering social cohesion, and enabling the transmission of knowledge and values between generations. These cultural traits can influence survival and reproductive success, which in turn can influence the evolutionary trajectory of human populations.