Self and the Beginning of Life 67“9x6” b2726 Self and the Phenomenon of Life: A Biologist Examines Life from Molecules to HumanityThe analogy is like the Olympian gods (Zeus and his clan), of which we
have neither positive nor negative proof.^91
3.26 Is Biology Reducible to Physics?
The topic of biological reductionism is plagued with confusion because
different people use the term in different ways. In the most simplistic
form, there is reductionism versus anti-reductionism, in which the
former maintains that physical (and chemical) principles can fully
explain all biological facts, whereas the latter attributes all workings
of life to an intangible vital force, which in the extreme case would be
a soul, something that gives life to matter but can exist independent
of matter. Progress in biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics,
and physiology has proved the extreme vitalistic view wrong. On the
other hand, gaps exist in the problem of self-organization at different
levels of the living system, along with an incomplete understanding
of the origin of life and the nature of mental phenomenon, leaving
the full explanation of life an unaccomplished task. Thus, perhaps the
best answer is not a blanket statement of “yes” or “no,” but to assess
how much has been reduced, how much has not yet been reduced,
and perhaps what cannot be reduced. Please note that what cannot
be reduced does not necessarily entail a spiritual vital force; it could
simply be hitherto undiscovered natural laws applicable only to living
things.^92
There is elegance in simplicity and unity of knowledge, and for the
sake of unity modern science strives to seek a connection between liv-
ing things and inanimate objects. Life is the most complex entity in the
universe. We can reduce this complex entity by taking it apart down to
its tissue, cellular and molecular components and observe how each part
works. From this downward approach, science can triumphantly claim
that for every biological phenomenon there is a corresponding physi-
cal mechanism. However, the reverse process, that of putting the parts
together to make a dynamic whole, is much harder. Until this upward