I'll start by saying I'm certainly no expert on the interpretations of 2001. I love the film and have read a few takes on its meaning around the net. This is what I think from the various things I've read:
Extraterrestrials place the Monolith on Earth. It gives the apes the nudge to discover the tool. The first being a bone. The prehistoric apes use it as a weapon to obtain the resource of the pool of water the tribes have been fighting over.
The jump is to show the pinnacle of Man's tools- the "falling" satellite is an orbital weapons platform. There has been debate on whether it is a "weapon" or not-
However check out this familiar shape:
Certainly resembles the first tool/weapon: the bone:
The whole sequence of the Pan Am Orion flyer is to demonstrate that while Man is at the top of his game on Earth, in outer space he is a child once again-
The waitress has a close up of her feet as she walks. Her step is unsteady. She has to take "baby steps." Man must once again learn to walk.
The food we eat is like "baby food."
And we must be "toilet trained" all over again. The "Zero Gravity Toilet" instructions are long and intimidating.
The Monolith on the moon is essentially a signal for the Extraterrestrials that Man has advanced enough that they are ready for the next step.
So the Jupiter Mission begins. On board the spaceship is the ultimate of Man's tools- the HAL 9000 computer. HAL controls the ship's major functions. In essence the humans are just along for the ride.
HAL has secretly been given instructions to keep the nature of the mission a secret until they arrive at Jupiter. However as a logical computer HAL is unsure how to "keep a secret." HAL becomes paranoid that Bowman and Poole will discover the secret before it is time.
HAL makes a mistake about the Discovery's antenna failing (or deliberately lies about it failing in an attempt to distract Bowman and Poole from discovering the mission's true nature- the existence of intelligent/advanced life in outer space). Bowman and Poole decide to turn HAL off.
But HAL does not want to be turned off. Man's ultimate tool has obtained sentience. Man has lost complete control of his tools and it nearly succeeds in destroying him.
But Man is still resourceful enough to survive and separates himself from his tools- Bowman turns HAL off even though HAL ran the ship; if Bowman had remained aboard Discovery he would have eventually died as he would not have been able to pilot the ship manually back to Earth.
In a nutshell yes- but I think it is a case of the next step being freed of our reliance on our tools.
Kevin