Evolving (part 2) - progress and human ascendency

Part 1 of Evolving started my exploration of our everyday use of the words evolving and evolution.

Part 1 showed that when we¹ talk about evolution, we tend to use concepts of agency (some who acts), intention, purpose. This means our everyday use of the words evolve and evolution contradicts the very theory of evolution: the unpredictable favouring of random, undirected, purpose-less changes leads to the Earth's vast biodiversity.  

We use the words this way because we understand the world through stories rather than bits of information, and to tell stories we have to impose the features of storytelling - who, how, why!   

The other common feature of storytelling is morality. And sure enough, morality turns up in the way we use the words evolve and evolution. 

This post will explore how the idea of progress and human ascendency came to be seen as the 'purpose' of evolution (while Darwin rolls in his grave for the 100th time).

Evolving (part 1) - agency and purpose

I read about spitting cobras the other day. Not a critter I'd like to meet. 

The headline of the article read: Spitting cobras may have evolved unique venom to defend from ancient humans.

I pondered: not only can the cobra spit venomous liquid some distance, it chose to purposefully develop this capacity in order to poison humans.

A planning and spitting cobra! Definitely not a critter I'd like to meet!!

This sounds a bit ludicrous, sure. We know that's not how evolution works, but that is implied in the heading: choice, intention and purpose about changing physiology on the part of snakes. 

It's just one of many examples of the strange ways we talk about evolution and about life forms evolving. 

I think how we talk about evolution says a lot about us, and not very much about evolution!