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What is life ?

michel

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
From the '"Abortion for convenience" thread, I would like to start trying to get a definition of Life.

I don't want dictionary definitions, I would like others to explore the topic with a completely 'open' attitude; I have 'an agenda' and I think I might have quite a fight on my hands, but let's just see where this goes.

Anyone for starters?
 
Katzpur

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
michel said:
From the '"Abortion for convenience" thread, I would like to start trying to get a definition of Life.

I don't want dictionary definitions, I would like others to explore the topic with a completely 'open' attitude; I have 'an agenda' and I think I might have quite a fight on my hands, but let's just see where this goes.

Anyone for starters?
Click to expand...
Well, you better watch out, then. There are a number of people around here who definitely don't like agendas! :tsk:

Normally, I think of "life" as being the state which exists when a spirit enters a physical body. Conversely, death would be the state which exists when the spirit leaves the body. On the other hand, I believe that a spirit (some would call it a soul) can exist (and be alive, so to speak) independently of a body. I would say that this state exists when a person dies. When the spirit leaves the body, the body is no longer alive, but the spirit is.

Okay, have I said anything that makes you want to Knockout Knockout?

Kathryn
 
Darkdale

Darkdale

World Leader Pretend
From Dictionary.Com

life ( P ) Pronunciation Key (lf)
n. pl. lives (lvz)

The property or quality that distinguishes living organisms from dead organisms and inanimate matter, manifested in functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli or adaptation to the environment originating from within the organism.
Click to expand...
 
michel

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
Darkdale, I didn't want dictionary definitions, but the one you provided suits the point I am trying to make, so I like it!:D


living organisms
manifested in functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli or adaptation to the environment originating from within the organism.


What does this cover ?
 
Pah

Pah

Uber all member
michel said:
Darkdale, I didn't want dictionary definitions, but the one you provided suits the point I am trying to make, so I like it!:D


living organisms
manifested in functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli or adaptation to the environment originating from within the organism.


What does this cover ?
Click to expand...
I will continue to make a great disctinction between living and having a life. Life is a much broarder concept and is less able to be defined as easily as living.
 
Halcyon

Halcyon

Lord of the Badgers
michel said:
Darkdale, I didn't want dictionary definitions, but the one you provided suits the point I am trying to make, so I like it!:D


living organisms
manifested in functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli or adaptation to the environment originating from within the organism.


What does this cover ?
Click to expand...
It covers everything from the simplest prokaryote to the most complex plants, fungi and animals.
 
michel

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
Katzpur said:
Well, you better watch out, then. There are a number of people around here who definitely don't like agendas! :tsk:

Normally, I think of "life" as being the state which exists when a spirit enters a physical body. Conversely, death would be the state which exists when the spirit leaves the body. On the other hand, I believe that a spirit (some would call it a soul) can exist (and be alive, so to speak) independently of a body. I would say that this state exists when a person dies. When the spirit leaves the body, the body is no longer alive, but the spirit is.

Okay, have I said anything that makes you want to Knockout Knockout?

Kathryn
Click to expand...
Of course you haven't; when I said I had an agenda, I meant I would like to hope to make a point - I just don't think that most will accept it.

"Normally, I think of "life" as being the state which exists when a spirit enters a physical body" - so life must include a soul?
 
michel

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
Halcyon said:
It covers everything from the simplest prokaryote to the most complex plants, fungi and animals.
Click to expand...
O.K; does 'Life' have rights?
 
Darkdale

Darkdale

World Leader Pretend
Life itself doesn't have rights. Life, however, does deserve our respect. But life requires life to live and therefore death. There is no universal ethic to govern how we treat life in general, but I would argue that what rights we give to life, we must do so in accordance with nature and with respect to long term consequences. Respect and consideration are essential in our relationships with everything.
 
Katzpur

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
michel said:
Of course you haven't; when I said I had an agenda, I meant I would like to hope to make a point - I just don't think that most will accept it.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I know that's what you meant. :)

"Normally, I think of "life" as being the state which exists when a spirit enters a physical body" - so life must include a soul?
Click to expand...
Just so that you understand my terminology:

Spirit: the thinking, feeling part of who we are, the qualities that make each of us unique.
Soul: the combination of a spirit and a physical body.

I'd say, based on the definitions I just gave, that without a spirit, there is no life. So yes, life must include a spirit.
 
michel

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
Katzpur said:
Yeah, I know that's what you meant. :)


Just so that you understand my terminology:

Spirit: the thinking, feeling part of who we are, the qualities that make each of us unique.
Soul: the combination of a spirit and a physical body.

I'd say, based on the definitions I just gave, that without a spirit, there is no life. So yes, life must include a spirit.
Click to expand...
Do animals have spirits?
 
michel

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
Luke Wolf said:
"Everyman is endowed with certain unalienable rights......"
Well, its not a dictionary definition.
Click to expand...
Life=mankind? (and nothing more)
 
Katzpur

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
michel said:
Do animals have spirits?
Click to expand...
Absolutely. And get this: Latter-day Saints believe that all life does. If you want to get technical, that would include even plant life. This is not to say that an animal spirit is the same as a human spirit or a plant spirit. But we believe that, just like with human beings, when an animal dies, its spirit leaves its body. We also believe that animals will be resurrected. In other words, their bodies and spirits will be reunited someday.

If you don't think most here will accept the point you're trying to make (and I am breathlessly waiting to see what it is), imagine how I feel! Hardly anybody ever accepts most of what I believe. ;)
 
michel

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
Katzpur said:
Absolutely. And get this: Latter-day Saints believe that all life does. If you want to get technical, that would include even plant life. This is not to say that an animal spirit is the same as a human spirit. And a plant spirit is different than an animal spirit. But we believe that, just like with human beings, when an animal dies, its spirit leaves its body. We also believe that animals will be resurrected. In other words, their bodies and spirits will be reunited someday.

If you don't think most here will accept the point you're trying to make (and I am breathlessly waiting to see what it is), imagine how I feel! Hardly anybody ever accepts most of what I believe. ;)
Click to expand...

You have just made my day! - you can breathe in; I was 'testing the water' because I thought I would be shot down in flames for my belief, which is much as yours.:bounce
 
Unedited

Unedited

Active Member
For something to be living in it's own right, it has to A) be an organism, B) be consistenly changing, as in the constant division of cells in the human body, and C) be able to keep up this state by itself, not without help, but it has to be doing at least some work on it's own. For instance, someone on life support is getting a lot of help to keep on living, but the body is still working to keep it alive and is therefore, 'consistently changing' 'by itself.'
 
Katzpur

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
michel said:
You have just made my day! - you can breathe in; I was 'testing the water' because I thought I would be shot down in flames for my belief, which is much as yours.:bounce
Click to expand...
Well, you made my day, too! I'm quite frankly surprised that anyone outside of my faith believes this.
 
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