Sara Walker joins our writer in discussions about the definition of life
In the realm of science and philosophy, a fascinating debate has been unfolding for centuries - the nature of life. The traditional debate between materialists and vitalists, who argue for life being purely physical matter and mechanics or an immaterial vital force, respectively, is giving way to a more nuanced understanding.
This emerging perspective frames life as a process of information structures embodied in matter. This shift aligns with the evolving views in philosophy, biology, and systems theory that regard living systems as complex, self-organizing informational processes.
Life, in this context, is often conceptualized as relational and processual. It involves continuously evolving information structures that emerge from physical substrates but cannot be fully reduced to simple matter-energy interactions. This perspective moves beyond strict materialism and vitalism, placing information and organization at the forefront.
Philosophers and theorists, influenced by thinkers like Leibniz and developments in new materialism, argue for an ontological relationality where matter is understood as dynamic and imbued with meaning or significance through its informational patterns. This view is compatible with certain integrative approaches like Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy, which conceives of natural and spiritual worlds with systematic knowledge that includes but transcends physical phenomena.
In biology and physics, living systems are increasingly recognized as information-processing entities. From genetic information determining cellular functions to cognition and behaviour emerging from complex informational networks across scales, life is understood as a dynamic informational process embedded in materiality.
This conceptual shift reflects a departure from dualistic divisions (material vs. vital) towards integrated views where life is defined in terms of emergent informational organization, which includes but is not limited to physical substrates.
Vitalists noticed something magical about life that can't be easily dismissed. Organisms typically thought of as "alive" are just momentary instances in these greater lineages of structure and information. Life is not purely chemical; it is something more fundamental. Life shares open-endedness and the capacity for genuine novelty with these other domains.
No organism is truly "self-sustaining"; all depend on their environment and larger systems. Our conception of material properties that give rise to life may require a revolution similar to the evolution of physics from Aristotle's simple notions to Newton's unified laws of motion.
Focusing on Darwinian evolution suggests only populations, not individuals, are alive. The "chemical" requirement for life may be too narrow. The focus on individual living things can miss the larger pattern: life is an open-ended cascade of increasing complexity, a way for the universe to explore what's possible.
In summary, modern perspectives frame life primarily as information patterns and processes occurring in and through matter. This synthesis highlights complexity, organization, and relationality rather than invoking a separate vital essence or purely mechanistic materialism. This nuanced ontology is a promising step towards a more comprehensive understanding of life as currently understood in philosophy and science.
- The self-organizing informational processes in living systems align with modern scientific perspectives, especially in the fields of health-and-wellness, where physical fitness and nutrition play a crucial role.
- Climate change, a critical environmental-science issue, can profoundly affect the health-and-wellness of both individuals and societies at large, as living systems rely on a healthy and stable environment.
- Mental health, a fundamental aspect of human well-being, is often influenced by our perception of life's purpose, which has been a central topic in both philosophy and spirituality, such as in Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy.
- The study of space-and-astronomy offers insights into the origins of life and the universe, exploring how complex informational processes may have led to the creation of life on Earth and potentially on other planets, expanding our understanding of the nature of life.
