The Fullness of Life

At school, we learn that being alive is to possess certain functions, from respiration to reproduction. But what is life and why can the word “life” be used more widely than referring only to biological life? In the latest episode of the Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues, Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon consider the meaning of saying that stars have a lifecycle, and that rocks and atoms can be ascribed a biography, in that they undergo processes of becoming. They discuss A.N. Whitehead’s argument that so-called inanimate objects need to be considered as organisms and that life must also include the experience of being alive, which is to say consciousness and mentality. The powers of nature and the connection of all life, not least in terms of the idea of Gaia, lead them to ask how God can be said to be the origin and sustainer of life. Asking what life is dramatically expands the notion of life and the awesome nature of being alive. 00:00 Introduction 00:26 Criteria of Life 01:19 Life Beyond Biology 02:26 Life Cycle of Stars 03:03 Theological Perspectives on Life 04:08 Greek Concepts of Life: Zoe and Bios 06:18 Life in the Universe 08:18 Gaia Hypothesis 10:10 Atoms and Molecules as Life 12:19 Panpsychism 14:30 Life and Consciousness 17:42 God and Life 19:10 Creative Process and Life 20:28 Diversity and Unity of Life 26:42 Modern Mechanistic Materialism vs. Expanded View of Life 32:57 Conclusion

You can listen to The Fullness of Life online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The Fullness of Life is an episode from The Sheldrake Vernon Dialogues by Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon.

This episode is 34:29 long.

This episode was published on Jun 7, 2024.

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