Gary, List I’m going to sideline the poetic musings, because I consider them, not prescientific - suggesting a kernel of scientific validity - but rather, an example of the non-scientific 18th [and prior] century theory of ‘vitalism’ . Vitalism suggests that the basis of life is a ’vital force’…Some equate this force with ‘god’; some with the soul’ . The point was to suggest that life had an essential causal nature not reducible to the physicochemical realm- ie, mechanical reductionism.. This may be quite scientifically valid but I feel it diverts the issue.
But modern science, focused around the examination of individual units both in their own nature and in constant interaction - in both the physicochemical and biological realms [ atoms, molecules, cells] - which function as individual units [ ie with ‘walls’ or finite boundaries, ie in a mode of 2ns] engaged in constant informative interactions with other units[ ie, in semiotic interaction] ….rejects this common vital force. Sufi Rumi terms this vital force as ‘consciousness’ . Peirce defines consciousness as Firstness or Feeling and considers that semiosis, ie, the transformation of input data into ‘meaning’ - operates in all realms [ see 4.551] - which also means that all three categorical modes necessarily operate in all realms. [Feeling, Reaction, Habit]…even in the simplest chemical molecule. That is - it’s not just Feeling alone….but mechanical l discreteness [2ns] and non-mechanical development of common habits of organization [3ns] The problem I have with vitalism or similar theories is their reductionist focus both to ‘feeling’ [ 1ns alone] and also to the poetic suggestion that this vital force could be linked to a Common Cause/Origin to this ‘vital force’…[ a common Thirdness?, a merger of 1ns and 3ns?] We may all be made up of atoms and cells, but, there is no commonality of their organizational nature; ie, a Hydrogen molecule is not similar to an Oxygen molecule, and a eukaryote is not similar to a prokaryote. Edwina . . > On Dec 13, 2024, at 3:17 AM, Gary Richmond <[email protected]> wrote: > > List,: > > I recently came upon this quotation by the 13th century Persian poet and > Sufi, Rumi: > > "Consciousness sleeps in minerals, dreams in plants, wakes up in animals, and > becomes self aware in humans" - Jalal al-Din Rumi > > This immediately made me think of Peirce's theory that consciousness is > ubiquitous and, in a sense, Rumi's sentence seems to flesh out that idea a > bit, albeit in a poetic sense. > > Rumi develops the above thought a bit further in a poem in his masterpiece, > Masnavi. Here's a few lines of it: > > I died to the mineral state and became a plant, > I died to the vegetal state and reached animality, > I died to the animal state and became a man, > Then what should I fear? I have never become less from dying. > At the next charge forward I will die to human nature, > So that I may lift up my head and wings and soar among the angels, > > We post-moderns might think more of 'evolution' than of 'dying'. Of course, > Rumi is a poet and a Muslim mystic. However, he also wrote: > > What am I to do, my friends, if I do not know? > I am neither Christian nor Jew, neither Muslim nor Hindu. > What am I to do? What can I do? > > While essentially a poet, musician, and ritual dancer, it seems to me that in > some of his metaphysical writings that one sees something of a > proto-scientific mind-set at work as well. > > Any thoughts? > > Best, > > Gary R > > > > > > > > > _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ > ARISBE: THE PEIRCE GATEWAY is now at > https://cspeirce.com and, just as well, at > https://www.cspeirce.com . It'll take a while to repair / update all the > links! > ► PEIRCE-L subscribers: Click on "Reply List" or "Reply All" to REPLY ON > PEIRCE-L to this message. PEIRCE-L posts should go to [email protected] > . > ► To UNSUBSCRIBE, send a message NOT to PEIRCE-L but to [email protected] > with UNSUBSCRIBE PEIRCE-L in the SUBJECT LINE of the message and nothing in > the body. More at https://list.iupui.edu/sympa/help/user-signoff.html . > ► PEIRCE-L is owned by THE PEIRCE GROUP; moderated by Gary Richmond; and > co-managed by him and Ben Udell.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ARISBE: THE PEIRCE GATEWAY is now at https://cspeirce.com and, just as well, at https://www.cspeirce.com . It'll take a while to repair / update all the links! ► PEIRCE-L subscribers: Click on "Reply List" or "Reply All" to REPLY ON PEIRCE-L to this message. PEIRCE-L posts should go to [email protected] . ► To UNSUBSCRIBE, send a message NOT to PEIRCE-L but to [email protected] with UNSUBSCRIBE PEIRCE-L in the SUBJECT LINE of the message and nothing in the body. More at https://list.iupui.edu/sympa/help/user-signoff.html . ► PEIRCE-L is owned by THE PEIRCE GROUP; moderated by Gary Richmond; and co-managed by him and Ben Udell.
