Categories: Site glossary
A common idea, that was influential for many centuries, was that there was a continuum of beings from the most base to the most perfect (i.e., God). Supposedly, humans were in the middle of the chain with various supernatural beings above them (different classes of angels) with all other living things making up lower links in the chain (or steps on the ladder). This perspective coloured how people thought about species and the possibility of evolution of natural kinds.
[Please be aware that a word may have different nuances, or even a different meaning, according to context.]« Back to Index
