A Universal Scale for the Evolution of Intelligent Entities of Biological Origin: Implications for SETI

OLEV VINN

2026.79.0362

DOI https://doi.org/10.59332/jbis-079-10-0362

The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) has historically relied on energy-centric models of technological advancement, most notably the Kardashev Scale. While influential, such models presuppose that intellectual evolution is universally coupled with increasing energy consumption and large-scale technological infrastructure. This paper proposes an alternative, philosophically grounded framework for the evolution of intelligent entities of biological origin, consisting of four distinct evolutionary stages of intellect. This model integrates evolutionary biology, behavioral constraints, technological minimalism, and post-technological intelligence, offering a novel explanation for the Fermi paradox and significant implications for current and future SETI strategies. It is argued that detectable technological civilizations may represent a brief and unstable transitional phase rather than the culmination of intellectual evolution.

Keywords: SETI, Extraterrestrial Intelligence, Kardashev Scale, Fermi Paradox, Technological Minimalism