| Khuutra said: You are not 'more' or 'less' evolved in anything, ever, because evolution is not linear, it's branching. We evolved to fill different niches. That's not a linear process. At all. That implies that, if the whole thing happened over again, we'd evolve in roughly the same way - but we wouldn't, the idea is ridiculous. Black people are not evolved "more" to protect from the Sun - they're just evolved to fill the niche of an environment with a Hell of a lot of Sun. People in Norway are not. That's not more or less evolved - that's just fulfilling different niches. Acknowledging that there are differences between races is not racist, just the idea that one can be more highly evolved. We can't. Nothing is more highly evolved than anything else. We just evolved into different niches. "Is being more evolved somehow different from being more adapted to your environment?" Yes. The first example doesn't exist, and the second example means that you live to pass on your genes instead of dying. You're right - that's not called "devolution". That's evolution too. That's why evolution doesn't work linearly - it's not always advantageous, and the vast majority of the time results in death or even extinction. |
First of all, evolution is as linear as we want it to be. It's called eugenics and selective breeding.
Evolution, is my understanding, is being better adapted to survive and prosper in your enviroment. Those who are better at surviving are thus more evolved to fit their environment. Black people are more evolved to protect from the sun. Is there really a difference between "filling a niche" and being more evolved? We're talking about the same thing. This is a silly discussion as we are not arguing concepts, we are arguing the words we represent the concept with. I do think you can be more or less evolved. Being more or less evolved is relative to the environment. A fish on dirt is shit out of luck and less evolved for that environment. The water is where it is more evolved.
I disagree that "we can't" be more evolved. For example, if we created a race of people that were 7 feet tall, had naturally muscular physiques, inpeneratible immune systems, didn't age, and had higher mental abilties than the average human, wouldn't you call them more evolved? I would. But you would probably say their just filling some niche? 
As for devolution, If it is called evolution, I think that's silly. If something is less adapted to their environment I would consider it devolved.
