The next stage

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Evolution has progressed through several stages. First the single cell then colonies then diversification of individual members of colonies into special functions to form the organs of multicellular animals and plants and subjugation of the dynamics of the individual cell so that it no longer functions as a free living individual but can only exist as a member of the multicellular organism which has a special internal environment.

This article http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 092832.htm indicates that insect colonies can be treated as super individuals and the individual insects can and are used regardless of their individual welfare to the benefit of the colony as a whole so that individuals are motivated to sacrifice themselves, if that becomes necessary, for the beefit of the colony. In other words the colony itself becomes the supreme concern.

In my submission on the latest Supreme court decision to accept corporations as more or less living individuals with individual rights and thereby increase their political power tremendously to overwhelm the ideal processes of democracy I wrote this:

"There is another thread wondering if or when aliens will land. This may seem far out but the aliens really are here and they have been with us for quite a while.
An alien life form does not have to look like giant insects or squirmy things with tentacles. All it has to be is alive and combative and care not a bit for the needs of humanity but only for itself and its needs. It competes with others of its kind for territory and nourishment and it grows and reproduces just like any other life form. Sometimes it may even show intelligence. It was created by humans and is called the corporation. It pays taxes and sees to it that its components are cared for as long as they function to fulfill its needs but it has no compunction about banishing any of its parts that do not fulfill its requirements and will replace any of its human components that it feels is unqualified in any way. It does not care at all for even its highest human members if they do not function properly and it readily undercuts any human regulations it finds it can successfully get away with. Although it is legally granted some human rights it has the possibility to live forever and this makes it superior to any of its human components. And if it finds profit in doing so it will destroy anything that obstructs its desires and needs. It uses humanity but it is not human and has only the morality forced upon it by humanity. It is very dangerous and can be frightfully vicious and stupid."

This seems to parallel the development of insect colonies in its use of individual humans for its own benefit and with no regard to the benefit of its component humans or humanity in general. In other words it can be seen as an invading aggressive and dangerous new life form and, if it cannot be controlled and directed to beneficial purposes, should be resisted or destroyed as an enemy unless it can be properly domesticated for the general benefit of humanity.

An interesting comparison Sand. The similarities are no doubt numerous ^.- (i am kind of a bug guy, so i already knew about the "hive" mindset).

In general I disagree with de Chardin whose teleological viewpoint is basically derived from Intelligent Creation. Nevertheless I would think that there is something rather neat about the current variety of life as compared to the original sloppy slime from whence we all came. Evolution is a flitration process and nature is continuously trying to murder all life and so far life has outwitted it. After a while some cleverness eventually develops.