Can Life Be Naturalised?

We propose a philosophical model to naturalise life as a fundamental property of biological systems. Our model understands life as a form of second-order organisation (Varela, Maturana, Uribe, 1974, Varela, 1989). Life is specific to a system that does not simply loop over physical states, but also over biological functions, or constraints (Mossio & Montévil 2015, 2020). First, we propose to extend the concept of operational closure invented and analysed by these authors. For us, any biological system, as a supra-organism or as an holobiont is heteronomous, because it works at several levels of organisation entangled, in such a way that it can only close on itself by continuously recomposing itself. This is why it can give rise to new functions within itself, and not simply maintain those that already exist. Second, we show why a heteronomous and normative biological system has specific temporal properties. More precisely, it is able to remember and anticipate, although these last properties are spontaneous and not reflexive, as in humans. We show how such properties can be understood without the help of any supranatural entity.