Re: fooling molecules

(from gott@ufba.br)

GOTT@UFPA.BR

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Hi John and James,
interested in your dialogue, from the socio-informational standpoint on.

> I introduced the point about enzymes being "fooled" by
pharmaceutical molecules (and, of course, by many natural ones, as
well), .. to emphasize a point that is stressed in the
philosophical literature on biological functions:
normativity is of the essence.<
Just asking: do you mean that there is some kind of socialness at the
biolevel?

> That is, for something to count as a
function in the proper (biological) sense of the word, there is
something that it is supposed to do, something that it can get either
right or wrong. In short, the concept of function entails that of
malfunction (as well as success, or correct function, of course).<
I see, you introduce an observer that "selects". Is this observer, in your
conception, a given environment? Or is it kind of a self-selection?

> roots of "purpose" in biology :..... insofar as information, properly
speaking, must
be recognized as having a semantic component, and insofar as meaning is
likewise a normative and teleological concept
. the ontological status of purpose and value.<

Interesting bioapproach. Eigen states it ints "steps to life", that there is
some kind of quasispecies, which acts "intentionally" as a mass phenomena.
May I presume, that you talk about "intelligence" at the microbio level? Do
cells or bacteria "behave", "think", communicate? If so, are these movements
measurable? And how?

Best,

Gottfried
Received on Tue Jul 2 10:15:09 2002