Life is simply the reification of the process of living.
Interpretation
Life is a manifestation of the ongoing process of living.
This quote by Ernst Mayr suggests that life is not merely a static state or condition, but rather a reflection of the continuous and dynamic process of living itself. It emphasizes that our experiences, actions, and choices shape the essence of what it means to be alive, highlighting the importance of ongoing engagement with the world around us.
In practice
In a discussion about the meaning of life during a philosophy class.
The most consequential change in man's view of the world, of living nature and of himself came with the introduction, over a period of some 100 years beginning only in the 18th century, of the idea of change itself, of change over periods of time: in a word, of evolution.
Evolution, thus, is merely contingent on certain processes articulated by Darwin: variation and selection. No longer is a fixed object transformed, as in transformational evolution, but an entirely new start is, so to speak, made in every generation.
There are a number of attributes of species and populations that are not of any particular selective advantage to any single individual in a population but that are of great advantage to the population as a whole.
Wherever we look at the living biota … discontinuities are overwhelmingly frequent…The discontinuities are even more striking in the fossil record. New species usually appear in the fossil record suddenly, not connected with their ancestors by a series of intermediates.
Evolution ... is opportunistic, hence unpredictable.
A mob is a society obodies, voluntarily bereaving themselves oreason, and traversing its work. The mob is man, voluntarily descending to the nature othe beast. Its fit hour oactivity is night; its actions are insane, like its whole constitution.
Whatever you may be sure of, be sure of this, that you are dreadfully like other people.
Goodness is achieved not in a vacuum, but in the company of other men, attended by love.
Behaviour arises from the level of one's consciousness.
Fear must be entirely banished. The purified soul will fear nothing.
I wrote at the start that this was a record of hate, and walking there beside Henry towards the evening glass of beer, I found the one prayer that seemed to serve the winter mood: O God, You've done enough, You've robbed me of enough, I'm too tired and old to learn to love, leave me alone forever.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.