Pioneers of modern science see the pitfalls of the reductionist approach to studying life. Unlike mechanical systems, biological systems are more than just the sum of their parts. The essential component of Life pervades the entire process of the succession of generations throughout the various species of living entities. The complex conscious dynamic among these entities has a direct influence on any individual or collective effort. Critically considering the nuances within the subtle non-material aspects of reality, which may be the cause of the phenomenal cosmic manifestation, will be a tremendous asset in progressing our modern scientific endeavor towards a more complete understanding of Life.
“As scientists attempt to understand a living system, they move down from dimension to dimension, from one level of complexity to the next lower level. I followed this course in my own studies. I went from anatomy to the study of tissues, then to electron microscopy and chemistry, and finally to quantum mechanics. This downward journey through the scale of dimensions has its irony, for in my search for the secret of life, I ended up with atoms and electrons, which have no life at all. Somewhere along the line life has run out through my fingers. So, in my old age, I am now retracing my steps, trying to fight my way back.”
Albert Szent-Györgyi (Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 1937. Quote from The Living State ch. 1 pg. 7)
