History Workshop, Work-In-Progress Seminar: Noa Lahav Ayalon, "The Debate on the Definition of Life: A 17th Century Perspective"

Abstract: The contemporary debate on the definition of life is often framed as a clash between reductionist and holistic approaches, reflecting deep-seated conceptual tensions that extend beyond biology into metaphysics. This paper argues that these tensions are rooted in the intellectual upheavals of the early modern period, exemplified by the opposing views of René Descartes and Baruch Spinoza. By juxtaposing Descartes’ mechanistic framework, which sought to dissolve life into mere physical function, with Spinoza’s monistic alternative, which treated vitality as an inherent aspect of all being, I demonstrate that the question of life’s definition is inseparable from broader commitments regarding the nature of substance and mind-body relations. By tracing these historical roots, we may find that the debate over life’s definition is, at its core, an iteration of the mind-body problem, shaping contemporary discussions on biology, artificial life, and the boundaries of living systems.