Life Itself A Comprehensive Inquiry into the Nature, Origin, and Fabrication of Life |
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| Author:
| Rosen, Robert |
| Series title: | Complexity in Ecological Systems Ser. |
| ISBN: | 978-0-231-07565-7 |
| Publication Date: | Jul 2005 |
| Publisher: | Columbia University Press
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| Book Format: | Paperback |
| List Price: | USD $28.95 |
Book Description:
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What is life? For four centuries, it has been believed that the only possible scientific approach to this question proceeds from the Cartesian metaphor-organism as machine. Therefore, organisms are to be studied and characterized the same way "machines" are; the same way any inorganic system is. Robert Rosen argues that such a view is neither necessary nor sufficient to answer the question. He asserts that life is not a specialization of mechanism, but rather a sweeping...
More Description
What is life? For four centuries, it has been believed that the only possible scientific approach to this question proceeds from the Cartesian metaphor-organism as machine. Therefore, organisms are to be studied and characterized the same way "machines" are; the same way any inorganic system is. Robert Rosen argues that such a view is neither necessary nor sufficient to answer the question. He asserts that life is not a specialization of mechanism, but rather a sweeping generalization of it. Above all, Rosen argues that renouncing mechanism does not mean abandoning science. A radical alternative is proposed, drawn equally from experience in biology, physics, and mathematics; an alternative which draws attention to a new class of complex systems, which are radically different from mechanism.