Blind Variation and Selective Retention

    <p class=default>
      
        "Blind Variation and Selective Retention" (BVSR) is a phrase introduced by Donald T. 
      
      
        <u>Campbell <CAMPBEL.html></u>
      
      
        , as a way of describing the most fundamental principle underlying Darwinian evolution. 
        (Campbell only applied it to the evolution of knowledge, but we here apply it in the most 
        general context). The BVSR formula can be understood as a summary of three independent 
        principles: 
      
      
        <u>blind variation <BLINDVAR.html></u>
      
      
        , 
      
      
        <u>asymmetric transitions <ASYMTRANS.html></u>
      
      
        , and 
      
      
        <u>selective retention <SELRET.html></u>
      
      
        . The second principle is implicit in the "and" of 
        "blind-variation-and-selective-retention", since it ensures that configurations produced 
        by blind variation can make the transition to stability, i.e. selective retention. That 
        this is not obvious is shown by classical mechanics where unstable or variable 
        configurations necessarily remain unstable (see 
      
      
        <u>asymmetric transitions <ASYMTRANS.html></u>
      
      
        ) .
      
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Blind Variation and Selective Retention

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