Evolution and Transitions in Complexity

<div><p>1. General Introduction. Part 1: The Operator Theory and Its Applications.- 2. Introducing the Operator Theory.- 3. Reflections on the Operator Theory.- 4. Darwinian Evolution: Process or Pattern? 5. Reflections on the Graph Representation of Darwinian Evolution.- 6. Generalising Darwinian Evolution by Using Its Smallest-Scale Representation as a Foundation.- 7. Critical Assessment Of Graph-Based Generalized Darwinism.- 8. The Role of Structural Criteria in Transitions Theory: A Focus on Organisms.- 9. In Defence of Gradualism.- 10. The Role of Structural Criteria in Transitions Theory: A Focus on Systems of Interacting Organisms.- 11. Major transitions, Operator Theory, and Human organization.- 12. Learning From Water: Two Complementary Definitions of the Concept of Life.- 13. Adding (Thermo)Dynamic Aspects to Definitions of Life.- 14. A Thermodynamic Account of the Emergence of Organised Matter.- 15. The Road to a Measurable Quantitative Understanding of Self-organization andEvolution.- Part 2:Discussion, Reflections, and Conclusions.- 16. General Discussion.- 17. What Comes Next? The Operator Theory as an Operationalisation of the Teilhardian View on Cosmogenesis.- 18. In Response to the Reflections of the Reviewers.- 19. Contributions to Open Challenges in Systems Theory and the Life Sciences.</p></div><div><br></div>