Abstract
Ervin Bauer formulated the most promising version of general theoretical biology in a mathematical form. He derived all the basic biological equations from a single fundamental principle, which is known as the Bauer principle. As this principle tells us, living organisms actively and continuously mobilize their free energy content to maximize their distance from lethal thermodynamic equilibrium. Although, for historical reasons, very few people know this principle, and even fewer recognize its power that originates from the fact that it transcends the framework of physics, this universal life principle represents a significant advance in our understanding of the structure and nature of the Universe, even more than the Copernican turn. This comprehensively life-centered worldview unites our physical, emotional, and intellectual aspects. It is also comprehensive in unifying individual, communal, and cosmic life. It offers an unexpectedly profound scientific basis for a cosmic ecology respecting all life forms, including the Living Universe. It offers new perspectives for our conduct of individual life as well as for good government and developing a healthy civilization.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
J.D. Barrow, F.J. Tipler, The Anthropic Cosmological Principle (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1986)
E. Bauer, Elméleti biológia [Theoretical Biology; first published in Russian in 1935] (Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1967)
M.E. Bauer, M.Э. Бayэp, Bocпoминaния oбыкнoвeннoвo чeлoвeкa [Memories of an Everyday Man] (Accпин, Пeтepгoф, 2003)
R.F. Baumeister, Self-control – the moral muscle. The Psychologist 25(2), 112–115 (2012)
B.S. Bhante, A sintoizmus [The Shinto]. A világ nagy vallásai (Gondolat, Budapest, 1990)
Budapest Centre for Long-term Sustainability (BC4LS) (ed.), 95 theses for long-term sustainability: long-term sustainable, comprehensive and life-centred world order (Global Debates 4) (2021), https://bc4ls.com/95-theses-for-long-term-sustainability/. Accessed 1 Jan 2023
J.B. Callicott, The metaphysical implications of ecology, in Nature in Asian Traditions of Thought: Essays in Environmental Philosophy, ed. by J.B. Callicott, R.T. Ames, 51–64 (SUNY, New York, 1989)
J.B. Callicott, Intrinsic and instrumental value, in Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics, ed. by R. Chadwick (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2012), pp.760–768
J.J. Clarke, Nature in Question: An Anthology of Ideas and Arguments (Earthscan, London, 1993)
J. Coopersmith, The Lazy Universe: An Introduction to the Principle of Least Action (Oxford University Press, New York, 2017)
P. Couderc, A csillagászat története [The History of Astronomy] (Gondolat Könyvkiadó, Budapest, 1964)
V. Csányi, Az emberi természet [Human Nature] (Vince Kiadó, Budapest, 1994/1999)
P. Davies, Superforce: The Search for a Grand Unified Theory of Nature (Touchstone, New York, 1984)
P. Davies, The Fifth Miracle: The Search for the Origin of Life (Penguin Books, London, 1998)
P. Davies, When time began. New Sci. (published Oct 9) 2468, 4–7 (2004), https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18424684-700-when-time-began/. Accessed 5 Feb 2023
A. Einstein, L. Infeld, The Evolution of Physics (The Scientific Book Club, London, 1938)
A. Grandpierre, Biological extension of the action principle: endpoint determination beyond the quantum level and the ultimate physical roots of consciousness. Neuroquantology 5(4), 346–362 (2007). https://doi.org/10.14704/nq.2007.5.4.143
A. Grandpierre, Genuine biological autonomy: how can the spooky finger of mind play on the physical keyboard of the brain? in ATINER’s Conference Paper Series, article PHI2012–0197 (2012). http://www.atiner.gr/papers/PHI2012-0197.pdf. Accessed 24 Nov 2022
A. Grandpierre, The origin of cellular life and biosemiotics. Biosemiotics 6(3), 421–435 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12304-013-9173-9
A. Grandpierre, Biologically organized quantum vacuum and the cosmic origin of cellular life, in Phenomenology of Space and Time: The Forces of the Cosmos and the Ontopoietic Genesis of Life: Book One, ed. by A-T. Tymieniecka. Analecta Husserliana, vol. 116 (Springer, Cham, 2014), pp. 107–133.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02015-0
A. Grandpierre, Héliosz: a Nap és az élet új nézőpontból [Helios: The Sun and Life from a New Viewpoint] (Titokfejtő Könyvkiadó, Budapest, 2015)
A. Grandpierre, The fundamental biological activity of the universe, in Eco-Phenomenology: Life, Human Life, Post-Human Life in the Harmony of the Cosmos, vol. 121, ed. by W.S. Smith, J.S. Smith, D. Verducci. Analecta Husserliana (Springer, Cham, 2018), pp. 115–140
A. Grandpierre, The Ancient History of the Silk Road: The Role of Hungarians in Eurasia (Titokfejtő Publishers, Budapest, 2021a)
A. Grandpierre, Az Élet könyve. Az átfogó életfilozófia alapjai [The Book of Life: Foundations of a Comprehensive Philosophy of Life] (Titokfejtő Könyvkiadó, Budapest, 2021b)
A. Grandpierre, D. Chopra, M. Kafatos, The universal principle of biology: determinism, quantum physics and spontaneity. Neuroquantology 12(3), 364–373 (2014). https://doi.org/10.14704/nq.2014.12.3.747
A. Grandpierre, M. Kafatos, Biological autonomy. Philos. Study 2(9), 631–649 (2012), https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1171&context=scs_articles. Accessed 19 Dec 2022
D.R. Griffin, Unsnarling the World-Knot: Consciousness, Freedom, and the Mind-Body Problem (University of California Press, Oakland, CA, 1998)
L.J. Henderson, The Fitness of the Environment: An Inquiry Into the Biological Significance of the Properties of Matter (The Macmillan Company, New York, 1913)
B. Hepburn, H. Andersen, Scientific method. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Archive (2021), https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2021/entries/scientific-method/. Accessed 22 Nov 2022
P.E.B. Jourdain, Maupertuis and the principle of least action. Monist 22, 414–459 (1912). https://doi.org/10.5840/monist191222331
B.E. Kártyikné, Lélegzünk és létezünk: Egyedi jóga a mindennapokban [We Breathe and We Are: Individual Yoga in Everyday Life] (Magyar Természetgyógyászok Tudományos Egyesülete – Sanitas Egészségkultúra Központ – Sanitas Természetgyógyászati Alapítvány, Kiskunfélegyháza, 1989)
J. Kim, Supervenience and Mind: Selected Philosophical Essays (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1993)
F. Lenormant, Chaldean Magic: Its Origin and Development (Samuel Weiser, York Beach, ME, 1999)
D. Lewis, Philosophical Papers, vol. 2 (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1986)
C. Li, Fang Dongmei: philosophy of life, creativity, and inclusiveness, in Contemporary Chinese Philosophy, ed. by C.-Y. Cheng, N. Bunnin (Blackwell, Malden, MA, 2008), pp. 263–280
J. Lips, A dolgok eredete [The Origin of Things] (Gondolat, Budapest, 1962)
B.J. Long, Cosmic law, in The Encyclopedia of Religions, vol. 4, ed. by M. Eliade et al. (Macmillan, New York, 1987), pp. 88–94
J. Lovelock, Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1987)
A.C. MacIntyre, First Principles, Final Ends and Contemporary Philosophical Issues. Aquinas Lecture (Marquette University Press, Milwaukee, WI, 1990)
D. Naugle, Worldview: The History of a Concept (W. B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI, 2002)
J. Needham, Science and Civilisation in China, vol. 2: History of Scientific Thought (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1956)
F.S.C. Northrop, Science and First Principles (Macmillan, New York, 1931)
A.I. Oparin, Life: Its Nature, Origin and Development. Translated from the Russian by Ann Synge (Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, 1960)
J. Patterson, Respecting nature: a maori perspective. Worldviews Glob. Relig. Cult. Ecol. 2(1), 69–78 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1163/156853598X00064
Z. Péter, Világnézettani alapvetés [Foundations for a Science of Worldview] (Szerző kiadása, Debrecen, 1939)
C. Riviere, Soul, in Encyclopedia of Religions, vol. 13, ed. by M. Eliade et al. (Macmillan, New York, 1987), pp. 426–427
R. Rosen, Optimality Principles in Biology (Springer, New York, 1967)
G.G. Simpson, Biology and the nature of science. Science 139(3550), 81–88 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1126/science.139.3550.81
M. Stöltzner, The principle of least action as the logical empiricist’s Shibboleth. Stud. Hist. Philos. Mod. Phys. 34(2), 285–318 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1355-2198(03)00002-9
D. Sturm, Natural law, in The Encyclopedia of Religion, vol. 10, ed. by M. Eliade et al. (Macmillan, New York, 1987), pp. 318–324
A. Szent-Györgyi, Egy biológus gondolatai [Thoughts of a Biologist] (Gondolat, Budapest, 1970)
B.P. Tokin, Az elméleti biológia és Bauer Ervin munkássága [Theoretical Biology and the Oeuvre of Ervin Bauer] (Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1965)
P. Tompa, G.D. Rose, The Levinthal paradox of the interactome. Protein Sci. 20(12), 2074–2079 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1002/pro.747
K. Wang, 王锟, 《怀特海与中国哲学的第一次握手》 [Whitehead’s First Handshake with Chinese Philosophy] (北京大学出版社, 北京, 2014)
S. Weinberg, Reductionism redux. The New York Review, published 5 Oct (1995), https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1995/10/05/reductionism-redux/. Accessed 18 Jan 2023.
W. Yourgrau, S. Mandelstam, Variational Principles in Dynamics and Quantum Theory (Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons, London, 1955)
A. Zee, Fearful Symmetry: The Search for Beauty in Modern Physics (MacMillan, New York, 1986)
Z. Zeng, Semantic criticism: the ‘westernization’ of the concepts in ancient chinese philosophy: a discussion of Yan Fu’s theory of Qi. J. Artic. Front. Philos. China 6(1), 100–113 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11466-011-0127-5
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Grandpierre, A. (2023). The Cosmic Life Instinct Points the Way to a Healthy Ecological Civilization. In: Bartosch, D., Grandpierre, A., Peng, B. (eds) Towards a Philosophy of Cosmic Life. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-2131-7_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-2131-7_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-99-2130-0
Online ISBN: 978-981-99-2131-7
eBook Packages: Religion and PhilosophyPhilosophy and Religion (R0)