Origins of Life: Chemical and Philosophical Approaches

In this article we address selected important milestones of chemical evolution that led to life. The first such milestone could be achieved by Oparin’s model, which accounts for the early stages of chemical evolution. These occurred at the dawn of development of primitive chemical systems that were pre-RNA. Oparin’s model consists of spontaneous formation of coacervates that encapsulate chemical matter, undergo primitive self-replication, and provide a pathway to a primitive metabolism. We review the experimental updates of his model from our laboratory and discuss types of selection that could have occurred in these primitive systems. Another major milestone in chemical evolution is the transition from abiotic to biotic. This has occurred later, after the RNA world evolved. A controversy of what life is interferes with the efforts to elucidate this transition. Thus, we present various definitions of life, some of which specifically include the requirements and mechanisms for this transition. Self-replication is one of the major requirements for life. In this context we re-examine the question if viruses, which do not have capability to self-replicate, are alive. We draw on philosophy of Hegel, Aristotle, Rescher, Priest, and Fry to guide us in our endeavors. Specifically, we apply Hegel’s law on quantity-to-quality transition to abiotic-to-biotic transition, Aristotle’s philosophy to the definition of life, Priest’s dialetheism to the question if viruses are alive or not, Fry’s philosophy to the beginning of natural selection in chemical evolution, and Rescher’s philosophy to the possible cognitive bias toward simple definitions of life.