This article is part of the author's "Treatise on Life Series," which aims to construct a unified theoretical framework extending from the definition of life to the emergence of complex systems. This paper aims to build a universal analytical framework for evolution, starting from the fundamental logic of life. First, we establish the meta-starting point of the theory: Life is a system capable of utilizing environmental resources to produce copies of itself (heritable), where the copying process can accommodate and transmit small-scale, random variations that do not alter its core logic. In an environment of finite resources, natural selection makes "active persistence" the essence of life. Based on this, we systematically induce the "Strategy Spectrum" (seven macro-evolutionary pathways) explored by life to achieve persistence: 1. Innovating energy acquisition; 2. Enhancing environmental tolerance; 3. Optimizing resource allocation across the life cycle; 4. Constructing complex physical structures; 5. Developing direct inter-individual interactions; 6. Coping with temporal environmental changes; 7. Upgrading the information-processing center. These seven intertwined pathways constitute the complete set of life's evolutionary strategies. Furthermore, to analyze the structural relationships and evolutionary logic among these strategic pathways, we propose the "Three-Layer Evolutionary Model of the Treatise on Life (α-β-γ Model)" as an analytical tool: The α-layer (Base/Physical Layer), serving as the material and instinctual foundation, primarily encompasses pathways 1-4 and 6; The β-layer (Cognitive/Narrative Layer), serving as the information processing and complex interaction layer, corresponds to pathways 5 and 7; The γ-layer (Institutional/Rule Layer) consists of group rules that emerge from fixed, complexified β-layer interactions. The model reveals the hierarchical evolutionary dynamics of "α-layer foundation → β-layer expansion → γ-layer solidification." Within this framework, "Container Rationality"—i.e., the coordinating logic that benefits the overall persistence of a group (container)—first emerges in the β-layer as a "group mentality," and is ultimately institutionalized into systems of rights and classes in the γ-layer. We use this model to re-examine the grand narrative of sexual reproduction: analyzing how the α-layer innovation of anisogamy (fusion of large and small gametes) establishes a physical platform that becomes the core engine driving the evolution of complex mate choice (β-layer) and diverse sexual social institutions (γ-layer). This logic of synergistic evolution, driven by natural selection and spanning all three layers, provides a unified framework for understanding complexity growth from cells to civilization. Publication Status Statement: This article is a preprint of the "Life Theory" series research, intended to facilitate early academic exchange and feedback. Its final revised version is planned for formal publication in the future. This version is released under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.
Jiankang Zhou (Thu,) studied this question.