That's a rather strong statement, but incorrect in both result and formulation.

How is mutation and selection entail it's not optimization? Your motivating the lack of a goal for a process by describing it's composition. It seems like a logical (Non sequitur fallacy) and categorical erorr.

For reference

> optimization = the selection of a best element, with regard to some criteria, from some set of available alternatives

What's the selection selecting from, what's evolution evolving towards?

Moreover, you motivate with conservation. Conservation is an optimization criterion.