{"id":1426,"date":"2009-11-08T13:13:05","date_gmt":"2009-11-08T20:13:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bhagwad.com\/blog\/?p=1426"},"modified":"2009-11-08T13:13:05","modified_gmt":"2009-11-08T20:13:05","slug":"are-plants-really-alive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bhagwad.com\/blog\/2009\/philosophy\/are-plants-really-alive.html\/","title":{"rendered":"Are plants really alive?"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the fundamental distinctions in our mind is that between life and non life. We think nothing of crushing a rock, but think twice before doing the same to, say a sparrow. But what is life?<\/p>\n

It turns out that according to the definition of life that we all learnt in biology, a lot of us humans aren’t really alive! Can you believe that? Well, one of the necessary conditions for life (according to our textbooks) is reproduction. Meaning that if an entity cannot reproduce, it’s not alive. Well, what of humans who are sterile – or who choose to not have kids? It’s no good saying that humans as a species can reproduce. Because in a strict sense, each person is a separate species in themselves since the genes are slightly different.<\/p>\n

Image Credit: tanakawho<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Are
Do plants feel pain?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Are plants alive?<\/h2>\n

In my opinion, plants are not really alive. Well, what does it mean to be alive? I think that plants are essentially robots. They have no choice, and are completely predictable in their actions.<\/p>\n

I also know they don’t feel pain – how do I know you ask? Well two reasons. First of all, we know that they have no central nervous system and don’t have the hardware necessary for feeling. It’s like trying to run Linux on the hardware of a toaster. Pain needs certain physical components.<\/p>\n

Secondly, pain would never have evolved in plants since it confers no survival advantage. A plant can’t decide to move away when in pain. Pain is useless unless the organism can do something to alleviate it.<\/p>\n

Having said that, it doesn’t mean I condone the destruction of plants and trees. Though I know intellectually that plants don’t feel, I still feel somewhat emotionally bonded to such “living” organisms.<\/p>\n

What about computer viruses?<\/h2>\n

Who said that life has to be biological in nature? If we take a computer virus, we find that it can:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Reproduce<\/li>\n
  2. Adapt to the environment (it can even mutate)<\/li>\n
  3. Defend itself<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    If normal biological viruses and bacteria are life, then why not computer viruses? What is the essential quality that makes something alive?<\/p>\n

    The real way to define life<\/h2>\n

    I feel that the only consistent way to define life is via consciousness. Though it’s extremely hard to define and even more difficult to detect for an outsider (perhaps impossible), consciousness exists<\/em> beyond a doubt. Decartes “Cogito ergo sum”<\/em> (I think therefore I am) cuts to the heart of the question. By my definition, the following entities are not alive:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Plants<\/li>\n
    2. Biological Viruses<\/li>\n
    3. Computer Viruses<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Even a little bit of consciousness is enough to make something alive. Everything else is just robotic in nature. Of course, one can expand on this and define life by saying that living things have choice<\/em>. But it’s my belief that we’re all robots in the sense that choice is an illusion. The only real difference between us and a fridge is that we know we exist and a fridge does not.<\/p>\n

      What’s your<\/em> opinion of what life is?<\/p>\n

      [poll id=”9″]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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