Five Arguments toward Understanding Life in Light of a Physics of the Immaterial
This paper argues that life is best understood in light of a physics of the immaterial. Life is not properly seen or touched, for instance, but conceived, imagined, intuited. In order to rightly grasp life in general, we need not reduce it in any sense, hence its counterintuitive character. The clai...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Proceedings |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/81/1/19 |
| _version_ | 1826994343181811712 |
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| author | Carlos Eduardo Maldonado |
| author_facet | Carlos Eduardo Maldonado |
| author_sort | Carlos Eduardo Maldonado |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper argues that life is best understood in light of a physics of the immaterial. Life is not properly seen or touched, for instance, but conceived, imagined, intuited. In order to rightly grasp life in general, we need not reduce it in any sense, hence its counterintuitive character. The claim is based on five arguments: life is much more a process than a series of components; the first law of thermodynamics is important in thinking about processes; life entails a twofold perspective that opens up the window, so to speak, to the possible rather than only the actual; living beings are not machines in any sense of the word (biological hypercomputation); and life is an autopoietic or self-organized phenomenon. Some conclusions are drawn at the end. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:43:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a68b404c570e4218904893018ff75dfd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2504-3900 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-02-18T09:18:09Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Proceedings |
| spelling | doaj.art-a68b404c570e4218904893018ff75dfd2024-11-02T22:19:21ZengMDPI AGProceedings2504-39002022-03-018111910.3390/proceedings2022081019Five Arguments toward Understanding Life in Light of a Physics of the ImmaterialCarlos Eduardo Maldonado0School of Medicine, Universidad El Bosque, Bogotá 11001, ColombiaThis paper argues that life is best understood in light of a physics of the immaterial. Life is not properly seen or touched, for instance, but conceived, imagined, intuited. In order to rightly grasp life in general, we need not reduce it in any sense, hence its counterintuitive character. The claim is based on five arguments: life is much more a process than a series of components; the first law of thermodynamics is important in thinking about processes; life entails a twofold perspective that opens up the window, so to speak, to the possible rather than only the actual; living beings are not machines in any sense of the word (biological hypercomputation); and life is an autopoietic or self-organized phenomenon. Some conclusions are drawn at the end.https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/81/1/19quantum mechanicsinformation theoryorigin of lifelogics of lifecomplexity science |
| spellingShingle | Carlos Eduardo Maldonado Five Arguments toward Understanding Life in Light of a Physics of the Immaterial Proceedings quantum mechanics information theory origin of life logics of life complexity science |
| title | Five Arguments toward Understanding Life in Light of a Physics of the Immaterial |
| title_full | Five Arguments toward Understanding Life in Light of a Physics of the Immaterial |
| title_fullStr | Five Arguments toward Understanding Life in Light of a Physics of the Immaterial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Five Arguments toward Understanding Life in Light of a Physics of the Immaterial |
| title_short | Five Arguments toward Understanding Life in Light of a Physics of the Immaterial |
| title_sort | five arguments toward understanding life in light of a physics of the immaterial |
| topic | quantum mechanics information theory origin of life logics of life complexity science |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/81/1/19 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT carloseduardomaldonado fiveargumentstowardunderstandinglifeinlightofaphysicsoftheimmaterial |