Beyond Selection: Persistence Through Entropic Stability as the Fundamental Driver of System Evolution

Selection has been the dominant framework in biological evolution, cognition, and even cosmology, assuming that competition is the primary driver of persistence. However, we propose a fundamental shift: systems persist not because they are selected, but because they minimize entropy accumulation. The Principle of Persistence Through Entropic Stability (PPES) states that reversible, entropy-minimizing processes inherently persist, while irreversible, high-entropy processes decay over time. Unlike traditional selectionist models, which rely on external pressures, this principle identifies entropy minimization as the true determinant of long-term system stability. We mathematically formalize this idea, deriving an equation that links persistence probability to reversibility efficiency. We further show that selection is not a fundamental force, but an emergent consequence of entropy constraints. This perspective reshapes how we view evolution, intelligence, and the stability of physical laws.