A kulto (plural kulti) is defined as an entity with a special property: it undergoes evolution. This would equate kultos with life (by some broad definitions of life).

Kultos include:

  1. Cells and simple organisms: including viruses, single-celled organisms, and member cells of multicellular organisms
  2. Multicellular organisms: including plants, animals, and humans, as well as the individual organs of an animal
  3. Multiorganism societies and ideas: including wolf packs, ant colonies, and human cultures, groups, concepts and memes

Kultos can also be divided into:

  1. Persistent - reproduce in situ: organs, societies, ideas
  2. Origent - has a moment of origin or birth: cells, animals

Do societies evolve?

There is some debate whether #3 - societies and ideas - actually evolves. Take human societies: do they evolve? Certainly there is a competition for survival with other societies. Societies feel hunger - their food is the minds of humans. Some societies may offer more attractive ideas than others. Those ideas must also ensure the health of the humans that embrace it - otherwise, the idea will not be propagated. A human society propagates through the continued adherence of its human members, and it expands when its ideas are spread to new members.