A common metaphor frames evolution as progress, a ladder ascending from “primitive” organisms to “advanced” humans. This conjures the image of life striving for perfection, each rung a milestone toward some ultimate form.
Charming — but fundamentally misleading.
The Metaphor Problem
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Progress / ladder implies direction, improvement, and goal-oriented evolution.
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Reality: evolution is not a linear trajectory but a relational actualisation of potentialities shaped by context.
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The metaphor fosters teleology, suggesting that humans or any other species represent the pinnacle of a universal plan.
Why This Is Misleading
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Anthropocentrises evolution — humans appear as the inevitable outcome.
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Obscures relational diversity — all species are differently actualised potentials, not steps on a ladder.
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Encourages value judgements — “primitive” versus “advanced” is a cultural overlay, not a biological fact.
The “ladder of life” metaphor simplifies a complex, branching, and networked process into a linear narrative of assumed improvement.
Relational Ontology Footnote
From a relational ontology standpoint, evolution is a multidimensional web of potentialities actualised under environmental and relational constraints. There is no direction, no pinnacle — only patterns of alignment and emergence.
Closing Joke (Because Parody)
If evolution really climbed a ladder, fish would be elbowing their way past frogs, birds would be holding seminars on how to ascend, and trees would be constantly worrying about not being “high enough” on the rung chart.
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