Category Archives: evolution

The Evolutionary Process as a Line, Ray, or Line Segment, in any version—It’s all Nonsense

In the last article, I explained why evolution, itself, outside of the context of the purely conceptual (that is, the context of man’s mind) as an objectively existent, distinct, causal, creative force in the universe, is impossible, as this kind of ontological description of evolution ironically contradicts its objective manifestation in the objects it is said to “guide” and “govern”. For summary’s sake, the basic premise of my argument in the last article is:

a.) Evolution, itself (evolution qua evolution), if we accept it as objective and distinct, is the absolute source—the cause—of all stages of evolution manifest in objects.

b.) All stages of evolution, in order to be called “objective”, must be referenced to evolution qua evolution, as evolution, itself, is the only possible objective constant by which to identify various stages of evolution as objectively true…that is, as objective manifestations of evolution (as objectively evolving).

c.) Evolution, itself, does not evolve, because evolution cannot both be the source of evolution and a product of evolution, because this is a contradiction of both. (This is the same sort of logical fallacy as the Objectivist claim that “existence exists”—which, no, because the metaphysical primary cannot also be a function of the metaphysical primary…this is a null assertion. Existence cannot also be a thing upon which existence acts; evolution cannot also be a thing upon which evolution acts.)

d.) All evolutionary stages are equal expressions/manifestations of the absolute, non-evolving evolutionary constant (the evolutionary cause), which is evolution, itself.

e.) Therefore there are no actual, objective stages of evolution possible between objects. Any differences in evolutionary stages are merely the relative perceptions of the conscious observer, making them purely subjective, and purely conceptual.

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In this article, I would like to examine the nature of the evolutionary process, itself, not necessarily related to the objects it is said to “objectively” act upon, guide, and govern.

Let’s assume that the evolutionary process—or simply “evolution” as I might refer to it—is a literal thing; it exists distinctly, objectively, completely outside the mind of man. It’s a thing and it is there…wherever “there” is for something we can only ever observe indirectly, as its nature demands.

Well, what kind of thing is it? I mean, we know its a process, but what do we mean by process? Is it a line…is it a continuum that goes on forever and ever, without beginning and end? Is it a ray…does it have a beginning but no end; an end but no beginning? Does it have a beginning and an end…that is, is it a line segment?

In this article I will explain why evolution can, in fact, be none of these things, nor any conceivable iteration of them. Therefore, it cannot be a process at all—except conceptually—which further nullifies the idea of evolution existing outside of man’s mind—man’s conscious conceptual framework.

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Let’s consider the process of evolution as a ray. It starts at a point—the beginning—and extends infinitely. It is a beginning with no end. We could also assert an “end with no beginning”, but that’s redundant, being the “same difference”, and unnecessarily confusing.

So as a ray, evolution has an origin point (e.g. the Big Bang)…it starts at a place of non-evolution…and this is important. There is no evolutionary process, then it begins. We could say evolution is “dormant”, or it is “potential evolution” at this point; but regardless of how we describe it, the beginning of evolution is, in effect, NON-evolution…at the beginning, evolution, we could say, is “not evolving” (and thus, not evolving any thing). Here, evolution is not actually being that which it is—it is a process that is not actually proceeding. Then, abracadabra! it springs into action. The evolutionary process pops into procession, we could say; but here, of course, in the manner of a ray, the action, or more precisely, the process, never ends. From the beginning it just keeps on going and going, forever.

Now, from this we can see that any given point along the process of evolution is as far away from the “end” of evolution as any other. Every point along the evolutionary process is infinitely far away (or infinitely near…same difference) from the conclusion of the process…because, of course there is no conclusion. Evolution as a ray is perpetual, proceeding from the beginning (the place of non-evolution) to, well…ad infinitum…thus all stages of evolution share an equal distance from the “end” of evolution. In other words, all stages or states of evolution are infinitely away from being “fully evolved”, regardless of their proximity to the beginning. In other words, if evolution is a ray, then all objects which are said to be evolving are not actually evolving to anything or anywhere, in which case they are all simply regurgitations of the beginning of the evolutionary process, which, as I said above, is non-evolution, or the absence of evolution. Evolution starts at a place of non-evolution, and proceeds infinitely to nowhere, making the evolutionary process a self-nullifying contradiction…circular and redundant, because it means that ultimately, and fundamentally, there is no difference between an object evolving and NOT evolving; between evolution and NO evolution, or NULL evolution. Embarking on a journey with no end is redundant…that is, it is the same as not taking the journey at all. A journey with no end can only be referenced to the point of origin—the place where the “journey” begins…which is the place where there is no journey.

If every step along the way of the evolutionary process is infinitely away from the “end of evolution”, because there is no end, because evolution is a ray, then no object under the influence of the evolutionary process is actually proceeding anywhere. Which means, of course, that there is no process at all. All points, or stages, or states, of evolution can only be referenced back to the very beginning, before evolution began. Thus all evolutionary points/stages/states, if we say they exist at all, are ultimately relative to the observer; and, since science—more precisely, scientistic metaphysics—declares the observer’s observation, meaning his conscious frame of reference, meaning his consciousness, entirely subjective, then any evolutionary distinctions the observer perceives are necessarily relative and subjective only, never objective; and thus never actual.

So, evolution is not a ray.

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If evolution cannot be a ray, perhaps it is a line. It is an infinite, perpetual process, with neither beginning nor end. It’s a continuum that just goes on and on, outward (or inward, same difference), ad infinitum. Well, in this case it is easy to see the completely redundant nature of evolution. In this scenario, every stage/state in the process of evolution is an equal unit of infinity; evolving from nowhere, to nowhere, and thus, the process itself is entirely meaningless. No state of evolution can have any objective value because it is referenced to infinity…which means it is referenced to, by definition, a non-specifiable infinite “constant”, which means that no stage of evolution can ever be specifically defined as an objective manifestation of evolution. Further, within an infinite “process” of evolution, nothing is, again, actually proceeding to anywhere from anywhere, and thus evolution does not meet any rational definition of a “process” and thus cannot be in any rational sense evolutionary. This makes evolution as a line entirely redundant and self-contradicting.

So evolution is not a line.

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Well, if evolution cannot be a line or a ray, maybe it’s a line segment. It has two definite points—a beginning from which it proceeds, to an end at which it terminates; a beginning where the evolutionary process is not proceeding…it is only “potential” evolution, (which really means non, or null, evolution), and an end where the evolutionary process ceases to proceed…it is “completed”, which likewise means non, or null, evolution. The evolutionary process as a line thus proceeds from NO evolution to NO evolution.

Hm…I’m sensing a problem here.

In the case of a line segment, the evolutionary process has a definite beginning and end; it is finite…it begins at a place of perfect non-evolution, and proceeds to a place of perfectly complete/completed evolution—the end of evolution, where evolution is perfectly realized to a point where it is no longer evolving.

Hm…the logic is dodgy.

In the example of evolution as a line segment, at any location along the evolutionary process any given object is in a contradictory state of simultaneous evolutionary progression and evolutionary regression. You see, the terminus of evolution is at root simply a regurgitation of the origin—that is, fundamentally, a place of non evolution. In other words, the fundamental point of evolution as a line segment is to not evolve—to come to an end of itself. It goes from the beginning, which is a place of non-evolution, to the end, which is likewise a place of non-evolution. Evolution thus proceeds as a manner of regression. The process then, you see, is entirely redundant—pointless. Any object’s stage of evolution is simultaneously a stage of that object’s de-evolution, which means that the object is both evolving and not evolving at the same time. The redundancy of evolution as a line segment is manifest in the object’s perpetual state of evolutionary contradiction.

Now, to the conscious observer—which, again, scientistic metaphysics deems an entirely subjective frame of reference—objects may appear more or less evolved depending on the state in which they are observed, but evolution is presented to us by the scientific community as having an objective ontology fundamentally outside of man’s subjective conscious, conceptual framework. In this article we are considering evolution as science presents it to us—a distinct, existent, immutable component of Reality, itself…and even more than that, as that which guides, governs, causes, and creates Reality, having its own form and function…this is its “objective” existence. In this sense then, it simply doesn’t matter what the observer perceives. What he perceives is subjective only; evolution IS…it is the objective truth, outside of man’s mind. This is TRUE evolution—evolution, itself—evolution qua evolution.

Well, unfortunately, this kind of evolution—non-conceptual evolution—is complete nonsense..

Evolution as an “objective process” is simply a categorically false assertion. This “objective process” must manifest as a line, ray, or line segment at root, regardless of how science may attempt to obscure these inexorable fundamental forms with sophistic alterations and/or silly, arcane hypotheticals. The evolutionary process as “objectively true” line, ray, or line segment, in any form that scientists, or anyone else, may proscribe or envision, is perfectly irrational.

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