Theory-based approaches to the concept of life

摘要

In this paper, I argue that characterisations of life through lists of properties have several shortcomings and should be replaced by theory-based accounts that explain the coexistence of a set of properties in living beings. The concept of life should acquire its meaning from its relationships with other concepts inside a theory. I illustrate this view by discussing definitions of life in several biological theories: the synthetic theory of evolution, autopoiesis, Artificial Life, and biosemiotics.