From the Non-Living to the Death
Carlos Eduardo Maldonado, Mauricio Hoyos
July 5, 2024 DOI: 10.1590/scielopreprints.9278 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that life and death are two sides of one process rather than distinct states, proposing three speculative hypotheses: existence is the universe's self-manifesting strategy, consciousness is a stance of living experience, and we are simultaneously alive and dead but alive for more time, which produces the impression of being alive. |
Abstract
This paper posits that life and death are two sides of one and the same process. Rather than considering states, we must adopt a process-oriented perspective. This article presents three speculative arguments. The first hypothesis suggests that existence is the strategy by which the universe manifests itself, and that the first tactic for activating this strategy is the simultaneity between life and non-life. The second hypothesis posits that consciousness is a stance of the living experience. The third hypothesis asserts that we are simultaneously alive and dead, but that we remain more time alive than dead. This is why we have the impression that we are alive. The paper is hence written in the first person. Speculation is a valid heuristic when there is no sufficient information available or when thinking ventures in a domain where the state-of-the-art is scarce.