Life as autarchy : deconstructing bio-theological western paradigm
Abstract: How can life be defined? In this paper, I will stress the importance of self-sufficiency (or, more rigorously, “autarchy”) in defining what life is in Western thought. I will address philosophy, biology, and theology, by studying Aristotle’s natural philosophy, Thomas Aquinas’ theology, an...
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| Formato: | Artículo |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
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Smith and Franklin
2019
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| Acceso en línea: | https://repositorio.uca.edu.ar/handle/123456789/4975 |
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| Sumario: | Abstract: How can life be defined? In this paper, I will stress the importance of self-sufficiency (or, more rigorously, “autarchy”) in defining what life is in Western thought. I will address philosophy, biology, and theology, by studying Aristotle’s natural philosophy, Thomas Aquinas’ theology, and Maturana and Varela’s biological theory of autopoiesis. Although self-sufficiency is quite revealing of what life is, I will argue that it does notdo justice to the relational essence of life, being my goal to open new perspectives on life by placing the prefix syn- over the prefix autós-. The philosophical task today seems to be to understand what relationality and community means, and I argue that for that end the “autarchy paradigm” should be challenged, understanding life (bíos) essentially as “life in common” (symbiosis). |
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