Post
by F5iver » Tue Mar 24, 2009 10:17 pm
Life as we know it (Lawki) is carefully (but flexibly) defined as meeting the following criteria:
- Living things are made of cells
- Living Things can move
- Living things perform complex chemical activities
- Living things grow and develop
- Living things respond to their environment
- Living things reproduce
Lots of things meet some of the criteria. Viruses, for example. Because they do not meet all the requirements, viruses are not considered, by most, to be living. Of course, there is lots of room for discussion.
As far as emotions are concerned, I take a unique look at this. I see animals as completely dependent on their emotional state. They rarely have higher reasoning with which they can consider the future, alternative decisions, ethics, morality, etc. They respond emotionally and their behavior reflects that response.
And a soul - I guess that depends on your definition of soul. The one I tend to use is Can the animal make emotional connections with another being? Many cannot. Fish and reptiles, for instance, may know who brings the food, but they don't exhibit 'love' as we understand it. Dogs, primates, in fact all mammals and birds (and a few critters outside these parameters) exhibit emotional attachment. They can be considered soulish (nephish) creatures.
Soul for me doesn't mean 'eternal'. I would use 'spirit' for that. For me, I don't think any other creature but humans have a spirit, but that's a religious, not a scientific, perspective.
Thus spoke Science Teacher. Carry on.