2.b) Theories on the origin of life
These theories are not within the limits of knowledge but rather in the limits of philosophy. The meaning of life is the most direct and challenging concept for a philosopher.
The Conditioned Evolution explanation does not seem to need to enter into philosophical subjects because it is not its primary objective. However, a philosophical foundation helps to capture the global conception of the evolutionary theory. Besides, it is a pleasure, and it is difficult to resist when the script requires it. Indeed, the philosophy of life and its origin are exciting topics.
There are at least two possible complementary approaches: logic and metaphysics or mysticism.
The logic method could use the dictionary definition of life to find its origin, essence, or Life in capital letters.
The definition of life has been changing with time; therefore, it should be better to keep a certain distance from the scientific perspective to attain a more permanent concept.
The second one is a direct approach to the concept of life from within oneself, where words do not count. Thoughts are so fast that we perceive them only as feelings –those genuine feelings not needing logic because they are coherent.
2.b.1. The logical approach and the broad concept of life
The General Dictionary of the Spanish Language provides us with numerous meanings for the word “life” in exact correspondence to its multiple uses. It would be excessive to comment on all of them, for which we shall stay with the most relevant:
- A fundamental internal force through which acts the being that possesses it
- Nature distinguishes plants and animals from other beings and presents itself through metabolism, growth, reproduction, and adaptation to the environment
- The union of the soul and body
- The existence of the soul after death
Given that the word “being” appears in the definitions, we note two of its meanings:
-
Essence, or nature
Entity (that exists)
The first definition of life is philosophical, and it seems practically perfect. Since it is not sure which beings have that internal force and which ones do not, it points out “... the being that possesses it.”
The second concept relates to plants and animals, which are the only beings that seem to possess such force according to human perception, both direct and with instruments. If science does not have proof, it restricts the concepts; on the contrary, philosophy needs evidence to limit them.
It also displays the classical definition of life with the influence of the natural selection theory, “Nature that distinguishes the plants and animals... and adaptation to the environment.” In the end, if we are not yet, we will end up being super adapted!
The philosophy of adaptation “as scientific truth” of life evolution is most convenient for the system. In short, individuals have to adapt to it because it does not make any sense of changing it. Moreover, alternative theories on the origin of life and human evolution appear as hateful ideologies like racism or xenophobia. It is not easy to do it any better from an established system!
Perhaps it would be more appealing and correct to say, “The plants and animals develop and try to improve.” This way, “according to the environment” and “to extend independence from the environmental restrictions” would be implicit.
It seems that “evolution by adaptation to the environment” and “conditional evolution” are the same by the environment. However, the difference is significant. The first element stresses the adaptation for survival as the cause of evolution; on the contrary, the second emphasizes living and improving to become independent and surpass the environmental restrictions. Furthermore, the second also refers to logical conditioning.
On the other hand, life's concept could be more precise using an enumeration of necessary and sufficient conditions of life's existence.
The third and fourth definitions are religious about living in this world, “body, and soul” and beyond, “the existence of the soul after death.” Now then, life is evident in plants and animals, but scientists have not managed to locate it.
"Discovery of a colony of microbes that live without carbon
They live 200 meters deep in hot springs; it is the first example found on Earth of what life could be under the surface of other planets, in totally inhospitable environments, where there is no sunlight or organic carbon exists."
El País 2001 Nature
It would be much more suitable for life to be closer to energy than matter.
The approach to life as energy corresponds to the broad concept of life. It is a philosophical perspective because it cannot provide evidence. To a certain extent, it shares the religious approach. Still, the underlying support is scientific because it seems more probable from a strictly logical perspective.
2.b.2. The metaphysical definition of life
The second approach to the concept and origin of life comes from philosophy and personal thoughts.
When we ask ourselves, “what are we?” we realize that we do not have the appropriate words because words like “soul” or “spirit” have metaphysical and philosophical connotations. It would not be an essential question if others could respond to it. Then you gradually lose yourself in what you think and write until, finally, naturally, words emerge, words that are not words but poetry. Meaning what it feels like right now!
Thus, you begin to wonder, to feel the proximity of others on the journey in space and time, and you try to imagine Life without those memories. You realize that it would make no sense. Life without intelligence would not make any sense. Life without Love would make even less sense.
All of them are internal conditions, necessary and sufficient for life. Therefore, any theory on life's origin should consider that those elements or characteristics would exist from the beginning.
The foundation of those characteristics is out of the scientific scope.
Memory appears because memory without an internal system to retrieve information is not memory but a file. Intelligence is precisely that internal system that operates, among others, with concepts filed in internal memory. And Love, just because.
There are also the necessary characteristics, such as space and time.
In any case, each of them involves the others. It always appears another, the Freedom.
Freedom is a frequent topic in metaphysics, but it does not mean that we cannot comment and get closer to the concepts. To exercise Freedom is necessary to have options, which must be in memory. There should be a decision-making system; eventually, to decide without Love?
Freedom and Love are at a superior poetic level than memory and intelligence; Love, being elemental, sounds too poetic to characterize life. Therefore, we prefer to summarize, as “The essential nature of Life is Freedom.”
Nonetheless, from metaphysics and philosophy of Love, or even better, from a poetic characterization of the origin of life, “The first concept included in genetic information is Love.”
Finally, creating little scientific poetry or pure metaphysics in saying, “We have been talking about the scientific existence of the Soul.”
Is not love more real than reality itself?