What makes life vital (Introduction)

by dhw, Sunday, March 01, 2015, 08:04 (3555 days ago) @ David Turell
edited by dhw, Sunday, March 01, 2015, 08:23

DAVID: An essay on the total interconnectedness of living tissues and organisms by Stephen L. Talbott:-http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/the-unbearable-wholeness-of-beings-QUOTE: "...we find in every organism a meaningful coordination of its activities, whereby it becomes a functioning and self-sustaining unity engaged in a flexible response to the infinitely varying stimuli of its environment.” -DAVID: In summary his point is that we are not machines in any true sense of the word. After reading his essay, tell me if you still think this can develop from inorganic material by chance. I've read and quoted from all four essays. Try them out.-You have indeed quoted them, and I have pointed out that over and over again he contradicts your claim that organisms are automatons. Here he quotes McClintock again (as he did before, remarking how prescient she was): In the future we should try to “determine the extent of knowledge the cell has of itself and how it utilizes this knowledge in a ‘thoughtful' manner when challenged.” You may recall your own ironic comment about cells forming committees, but that is precisely the image he actually uses here: "Alternatively, as another research group has put it, we see a “collaborative” process that can be “pictured as a table around which decision-makers debate a question and respond collectively to information put to them.” Except that he goes on to say there are countless such tables.-In this essay he stresses that EVERY organism coordinates its activities meaningfully, although he is careful to point out that "the directed aspect of biological performance should be distinguished from conscious human purpose". (None of my "favourite scientists" claim that cells/cell communities are conscious in a human way.) As usual, however, you prefer to dwell on the question of whether organic material can develop from inorganic material by chance. If your question is addressed to me, the answer is that I don't how organic material developed. Nor does anyone else. We have nothing but hypotheses. Meanwhile, if organisms are not machines, what are they? Talbott concludes: “But who knows what disagreeable entanglements might follow once we find ourselves staring into the face of other beings?” (The italics are his; the bold is mine.) After reading his essay, which argues that organisms are NOT machines, please tell me if you still think cells / cell communities are automatons?