I’m Number One, so Why Try Harder?

Authors

  • Raúl Pérez Martínez Editor independiente y profesor

Keywords:

evolution, human evolution, march of progress, history of biology, iconography, science

Abstract

For its apparent clarity and simplicity, the image known as the "march of progress" has been one of the most common and popular ways to represent the evolution of humanity.

Also the way our evolutionary process has served as a graphical summary of the biological evolution of species; even it has been used as a form of irony about the evolutionary success of our specie. In all these cases, the idea of the "march" is based on a condition: the evolution is understood as a synonym of inevitable progress or it has a clear and definite direction. So, this image-concept talks more about how we see ourselves and the place we assign ourselves in the living beings, instead of the way in which actually occurs the process of evolution of the species.

Author Biography

Raúl Pérez Martínez, Editor independiente y profesor

Editor independiente, especialista en revisión técnica y edición de libros de texto para primaria, secundaria y bachillerato, así como en redacción de contenidos para guías didácticas, materiales de apoyo docente y para plataformas digitales (sistema educativo por competencias).

Profesor de asignatura en distintos niveles académicos (educación básica, media y media superior), en materias de humanidades y ciencias sociales.

References

ASIMOV, Isaac, “La novatada” en Cuentos completos II, Barcelona: Ediciones B, 2008.

GOULD, Stephen Jay, “Evolución al pasear” en Un dinosaurio en un pajar, Barcelona: Editorial Crítica, 1997.

—————————, La vida maravillosa. Burguess Shale y la naturaleza de la historia, Barcelona: Editorial Crítica, 1999.

MAYR, Ernst, “La lucha contra los físicos y los filósofos” en Ana Barahona, Edna Suárez y Sergio Martínez (comps.), Filosofía e historia de la biología, México: UNAM-DGPFE, 2001.

Referencias videos:

NASTUK, Matthew [director], “Homerazzi”, Los Simpsons, episodio número 349, temporada 18, [Serie de Televisión], 2007.

DJ FATBOY SLIM, Right here, right now, [Videoclip], 2010, [en línea]: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub747pprmJ8>, [Consulta: junio 2015].

Published

2017-03-15