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Articles

Evolution or Progress?

Adam Neiblum asks what the difference is, and why it matters.

‘Progress’ and ‘evolution’ are widely considered synonyms, and are used interchangeably every day. Most people also regard evolution, in the Darwinian sense, to be a form of progress or improvement. We often hear talk about our species evolving to a higher state of being or a more advanced consciousness. But progress and evolution are not the same thing, and describe very different forms of change. Recognizing the differing kinds of change has a direct bearing upon our understanding of what it means to be Homo sapiens, both as a member of a culture and also as an animal – a product of the very evolutionary process that has created and shaped every species, including our own.

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