Life Is Not a Machine or a Ghost: The Naturalistic Origin of Life's Organization and Goal-Directedness, Consciousness, Free Will, and Meaning
Marsha Familaro Enright
The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies April 7, 2023 DOI: 10.5325/jaynrandstud.23.1-2.0218 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that rejecting goal-directedness in nonconscious living beings as unscientific anthropomorphism creates a false dichotomy that has hindered biology, and proposes a naturalistic framework combining systems and hierarchy theories with ideas from Aristotle, Hans Jonas, and Ayn Rand to reformulate the nature of life, consciousness, free will, and meaning. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT:Due to a widespread belief in mechano-reductionism, most intellectuals reject the idea that nonconscious living beings act toward goals. Proposing otherwise is mostly rejected as unscientific anthropomorphizing or necessitating appeals to a supernatural power. This false dichotomy has stymied biology and its related sciences. Herein, I present a new naturalistic gestalt on the nature of life—one based on facts and evidence. It incorporates Ludwig von Bertalanffy's and Arthur Koestler's theories of systems and hierarchies with the ideas of Aristotle, Hans Jonas, and Ayn Rand, to identify fundamental formulations on the nature of life, consciousness, free will, and meaning.