What is life?

We explain what life is, defined in different disciplines such as biology, physics and philosophy. In addition, concept of human life.

1. What is life?

The concept of life  and s difficult to define, because depending on the discipline in which we place ourselves be obtained various responses which can be antagonistic to each other . 

• Life, from biology . Life is defined as the ability to be born, breathe , develop, procreate, evolve and die. In addition to consider that there is life from this perspective, it is necessary that there be an exchange of matter and energy .
• Life, from physics . it can be understood as the time that things last or as the evolutionary phase, that is, that the stars have life, something that would be incompatible from biology.
• Life, from philosophy . It is also difficult to define, since depending on the philosopher and the current being analyzed, the response that will be obtained will be different. We find philosophers against the distinction made earlier between “body and soul” or “reason and body.” For other philosophers, life is a set of experiences. Within this conception life cannot be understood by the other disciplines since it is something that happens, it happens to living beings , that is why it cannot be defined to exact science.

2. Human life

In medical terms we talk about human life, from the beginning until the end of it . There are those who believe that life can be taken for granted at the moment when the egg is fertilized. Others claim that life as such begins with birth, which until the previous moment of delivery is a fetus.

There are experts who consider it necessary to separate human life from biological life . This was an issue that was already discussed in ancient Greece, one of the thinkers who reflected on this was Aristotle. The illustrious considered that in order to consider human life requirements were required, some of them were autonomy , freedom , the search for beauty, politics , philosophy, among others. This vision has received many criticisms, since from this definition many people could not be called as such.

On the other hand, others consider that a requirement for human life is reason . This is what distinguishes us from the rest of living beings. It is considered that this position was presented after the dissemination of the Judea-Christian religion. Although throughout history it has been modified, not only those who are right are considered as possessors of human life.

Nowadays, since Christianity, it understands human life as a facet that the soul must overcome before reaching fullness. From other religions , such as Buddhism, life is considered to be the different states of reincarnation .