The Philosophy and Science of Life Series: Volume 0, Life

1. Life

Marie Francois Xavier Bichat

1.1. Life

Definition of Life

The definition of Life is: the totality of organisms that behave to stimuli.

Nature of Life

The nature of Life is dependent on three concepts: (1), organisms (2), behavior (3), stimuli.

Scope of Life

The scope of Life is dependent on the totality of Life. The includes all possible organisms that

subsist on the Earth and elsewhere if possible. There is also a distinction between two different types of

classification of organisms: this includes (1) phylogeny (2) taxonomy. The term: phylogeny, is in

reference to: the evolutionary diversification of Life. The term: taxonomy, is in reference to the

classification of Life of ideal forms of nature. The difference between them two is that the former is in

reference to mutable organisms whereas the latter is in reference to immutable organisms. It depends

on the perspective of how one wants to classify the organisms: whether from a perspective of change or
universals. For change, this includes the perspective that one can classify organisms as mutable systems

of organ systems that evolve in time in their heritable traits. For universals, this is the perspective that

there are ideal forms on the Earth and elsewhere if possible: that for example, we have an ideal form of

a plant on the basis of its characteristics that determine its classification or, on the discrimination of

plants from an animal as two different forms.

From my perspective, I prefer to combine the two perspectives: that we can discriminate

between a plant and an animal, that: plants and animals can change in their heritable traits over

successive generations, that: the whole plant and animal kingdom can become extinct, but: the ideal

form of a plant and an animal can be immutable in the realm of possibility, because of the nature and

scope of the definition of the organism. The organism albeit is not immutable in the realm of actuality,

because it can adapt to its environment and become fit within that environment.

Definition of Behavior

The definition of Behavior is: an evolutionary adaptive trait expressed by habit.

Nature of Behavior

The nature of Behavior is dependent on three concepts: (1), evolutionary adaptation (2), trait

(3), habit.

The term 1: evolutionary adaptation, is defined as: the ability of an organism to become fit in its

environment and to change its heritable traits in accordance with its environment.

The term 2: trait, is defined as: a characteristic phenotype of the organism.

The term 3: habit: is defined as: a characteristic phenotype trait of the organism that is

expressed in the Life-span.

 The relation between term 1 and 2 is that this is in the context of natural selection. That 1:

Selective Diversity, individuals within populations are variable, that 2: Selective Phylogeny, variation

is heritable, that 3: Selective Pressure, organisms differ in their ability to survive and reproduce, that 4:

Selective Prediction, survival and reproduction are not random.

The relation between 2 and 3 is that this is in the context of evolution. That 1: Heredity,

antecedent organisms have traits that are passed onto consequent organisms, that 2: Ontogeny, the

acquired trait from antecedent organism to consequent organism is expressed in the Life-span of the

referenced organism.

Scope of Behavior

The scope is limited to three concepts: (1), action (2), reaction (3), response.

The first concept is action. The concept of action is that: this is the antecedent part of the

collision of the antecedent body with consequent body.

The second concept is reaction. The concept of reaction is that: this is the consequent part of the

collision of the consequent body from the antecedent body.

The third concept is response. This is more of a matter of semantics. One can interchange

behavior and response. I just wanted to use the term behavior because response is already in use for a

characteristic of Life.

1.2. Death

Definition of Death

The definition of death is: the totality of organisms that do not behave to stimuli.
Nature of Death

The nature of death is dependent on three concepts (1), mortal trauma (2), senescence (3),

complete decomposition.

The first concept is mortal trauma. The concept of mortal trauma is a classification of trauma

that can end the Life-span of the organism. This concept has been derived from the causes of death.

The second concept is senescence. The concept of senescence is that: the gradual deterioration

of the function of the organism.

The third concept is complete decomposition. This concept of complete decomposition is that

there is a process whereby the organism will completely decompose instead of only some organic

substances that are broken down into inorganic substances in the Life-span of the organism.

Scope of Death

The scope of death is limited to the totality of organisms that do not behave to stimulus. There is

a disconnect between the organism and its behavior, and its accompanied stimuli that elicits the

behavior of the organism. For some organisms it can be the cessation of the function of circulation in

animals and insects.

1.2.1. Accidental Death

The definition of accidental death is: the event that causes mortal trauma to the organism. This

is trauma equivalent to injurious conditions that causes the organism to be unable to behave to

stimulus. There is damage to the organism which causes it to lose a positive feedback amplification
which disturbs the harmony of the system in the organism. If one whole system fails in the organism,

then this could lead to other systems of the body to fail, which can lead to the overall unresponsiveness

of the organism. There are other conditions other than the one just exampled.

The nature of accidental death is dependent on three concepts: (1), Mortal Trauma (2),

Disharmony (3), Positive Feedback.

The first concept is mortal trauma. The concept of mortal trauma is a classification of trauma

that can end the Life-span of the organism. This concept has been derived from the causes of death.

The second concept is disharmony. The concept of disharmony is a negation of harmony. This is

when the system(s) of the body of the organism is in a state whereby the regulated variable is unable to

remain constant.

The third concept is positive feedback. The concept of positive feedback is that the feedback

loop effects a small disturbance on a system which includes an increase in the magnitude of the

perturbation of the system. The perturbation can raise to the extent that the system is damaged in

injurious conditions which causes mortal trauma by a set of causes of death.

The scope of accidental death is limited to the concepts: (1), unintentional mortal injury (2),

undesirable mortal injury (3), unplanned mortal injury.

1.2.2. Natural Death

The definition of natural death is: the final stage of the Life-span of the organism without

injurious conditions that causes mortal trauma. That there is a set biological clock that would determine

the organism's Life-span. Some organism's do not fall under the classification of natural death. This is

an exception. The exception does not determine the rule. Therefore: I have attempted to be as universal
as possible with these sections in reference to Life.

The nature of natural death is dependent on three concepts: (1), age (2), the natural order of fate

(3), Life-span.

The first concept is age. That there is an effect of time on the organism. Some organisms have

the potential for immortality. This is an exception. The exception does not determine the rule.

Therefore: I have attempted to be as universal as possible with these sections in reference to Life.

The second concept is the natural order of fate. That there are risk factors of natural death: (1),

diseases (2), cancers (3), infection (4), accidents (5), suicide (6), violence (7), abnormalities (8),

malfunction (9), inflammation (10), deficiencies (11), disorders (12), overdose (13), predation (14),

parasitism (15), malnutrition (16), viruses.

The third concept is Life-span. That there is a date for the organism to die. If from the phrase by

Haeckel: phylogeny recapitulates ontogeny, and phylogenetic relationships are discovered by

phylogenetic inference methods that evaluate observable heritable traits, then the set Life-span without

accidental causes of death, then: Life-span is determined by heretability.

The scope of natural death is limited to three concepts: (1), a negation of accidental death (2),

the natural order of fate (3), risk factors of natural death.

1.3. Organism

The definition of organism is: a system composed of organ systems.

The nature of organism is dependent on three concepts: (1), systems (2), composition (3), organ

systems.
 The first concept is system. I would like to use an organizational theorist's (Russel A) work on

systems to outline the characteristics of a system. I will not use some because I do not believe it is

necessary to use some of the characteristics to understand systems of Life. Elements are interrelated. In

other words, the elements of the organism as the organ systems are interrelated. Systems can be

abstract. In other words, the elements of the organism as the organ systems must be defined in order for

it to be abstract; there are also relations between the definitions as assumptions. Systems can be

concrete. In other words, the elements of the organism as the organ systems must be in empirical

reference, that: one must use one's senses to satisfy the condition of existence of the organ system as

concrete. Systems have states. In other words, the elements of the arbitrary set as interrelated is

composed of relevant properties at the moment of time of the system: that, an organism has relevant

properties at the moment of time on the system. Systems have environments. In other words, outside of

the system there are variables which can effect the state inside of the system, that: an organism is

accompanied with an environment that can effect that state inside of the system. The state of the system

is composed of relevant properties. In other words, the state of the organism is composed of concrete

measurable characteristics. Closed Systems have no environment. In other words, a system that is

closed from the outside world is self-contained. An organism that is hypothetically (if-then based)

closed has no environment. Open Systems have an environment. In other words, a system that is open

to the outside world is other-contained. An organism that is theoretically (evidence-hypothesis based)

open has an environment. Static Systems have no events. In other words, there is no change of the state

of the system. An organism that is hypothetically static is composed of no event and means it does not

change. Dynamic Systems have an events. In other words, an organism that is theoretically dynamic is

composed of an an event and means it can change. Homeostatic Systems have environments with

internal adjustments to events. In other words, there is an outside to the system with a homeostat that

can regulate a variable to remain constant, that: an organism has internal adjusters to events of say the

concrete measurement of heat; to abstract heat we obtain a temperature; the system in the organism
attempts to regulate the abstract variable of heat; related to the abstract measurable characteristic of a

variable we have the concrete measurable characteristic of a property of temperature. The organism

regulates the variable of body temperature by thermoregulation to remain in a constant range of

temperature. The concrete measurable characteristic of temperature can be empirically referred to by

the senses (the sum of thermoreceptors) as heat.

The second concept is composition. In composition a lay computer scientist can combine simple

data types into more complex data types. In the circumstance of an organism, a lay computational

biologist and computational physiologist can combine data types of organ systems into a more complex

data type of an organism.

The third concept is organ systems. In our present paradigm we refer to physiology as the

functional aspect of the levels of organization below the organism. This includes: (1), organ systems

(2), organs (3), tissues (4), cells. I want this to change because there is no subject in reference to organ

systems. The present concept of physiology in our present paradigm of Life-sciences should be

changed to biomechanics. The subject of physiology should be in reference to a network of concepts of

organ systems. Or, if biomechanics does not work, then there should be a label for the subject of organ

systems. I think physiology makes a just adequate option.

The scope of the organism should be limited to: (1), hierarchal levels of organization (2), the

level of organization above the organ system (3), the level of organization below the population of

organisms.

1.4. Nourishment

The definition of nourishment is: the condition that satisfies the standard of health. The term:

health, can be defined as: the metabolic efficiency of the organism.

The nature of nourishment is dependent on three concepts: (1), condition (2), standard (3),
health.

The first concept is condition. The condition is the if-part of the material conditional. It does not

specify the causal relationship of the hypothetical.

The second is standard. The standard is the then-part of the material conditional. It does not

specify the causal relationships of the hypothetical.

The third is health. This is the metabolic efficiency of the organism. It is the measurement of

three properties: (1), relation between permissible input and permissible output (2), permissible input

(3), permissible output. The input is the intake of nutrients by the cells. The output is metabolism of the

cells. The relation is the chemical reactions in the cells.

The scope of nourishment is limited to the concepts: (1), technical standard of health (2),

specification of the technical standard health (3), satisfiability of the technical standard of health.

The first concept is technical standard of health. That there are established requirements in

regard to organisms.

The second concept is specification. That there is a set of requirements that are documented of

an organism.

The third concept is satisfiability. That a formula of an organism is satisfiable if it is possible to

find an interpretative model of an organism that makes the formula of the organism true.

1.5. Functions

1.5.1. Cessation of Functions

1.5.2. Continuance of Functions

1.6. Habit

1.7. Organic Properties

1.8. Vital Properties

 Claude Bernard

N/A

Francis Crick

N/A

William Harvey

1. Motion

2. Circulation

August Weismann

1. Duration of Life

2. Life

3. Death

Erwin Schrodinger

1. Physical Law

2. Hereditary code-script

3. Hereditary Mechanism

3.1. Mitosis

3.2. Meiosis

3.3. Fertilization

4. Inheritance

5. Mutations
5.1. First Law of Mutation

5.2. Second Law of Mutation

6. Living Matter

7. Negative Entropy

8. Positive Entropy

9. Organization

10. Order

10.1. Clockwork

10.1.1. Pendulum Clock

11. Environment

12. New Laws of the Organism

13. Clockwork and Organism

Julian Huxley

N/A

Hans Driesch

N/A