THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LIFE IN GROUNDING COGNITION

Abstract

The Significance of Life in Grounding Cognition. In this study I would like to investigate the relationship between life and mind. First, I take up the problem of defining life based on the theory of autopoiesis. Next, I consider the meaning of cognition and I interpret two lines of reasoning regarding the criteria for having a mind and about the beginnings of mind in the living world. I will argue that if we consider the narrow, more familiar meaning of the term “mind”, then it turns out that only a subclass of living entities can be regarded as minded, but if we consider the broad sense of the term, that all living systems can be rightly thought of as cognitive. Secondly, the more advanced forms of cognitive processes found in animal life can be thought of as complexified extensions of the basic life-regulative capacities.