LEVELS OF EVOLUTION OF LIVING MATTER: INTRODUCTION TO THE CONCEPT

This article introduces the concept of "levels of evolution of living matter," developed by the author since 1990. Unlike structural classifications, this model identifies stages where biological formations act as independent subjects of natural selection. The ladder of levels includes: pre-cellular, unicellular, multicellular, and multi-body organisms, each separated by transitional phases. Humans occupy a unique transitional position between multicellular and multi-body levels, explaining the fundamental conflict between egoistic and social motivations. A functional table demonstrates evolutionary continuity, showing how "organs" of each level emerge from elements of the previous one. The S.C.A.N. criterion (Semantic Unity, Coherent Agency, Auto-Reflection, Non-reducibility) is proposed to quantify the transition to subjective multi-body forms.