an organism is like a symphony

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An example of an analogy used by a scientist:

"..the acorn forms numerous buds, from every one of which emerges an organ subject…All organ subjects with their organ melodies join together to form the symphony of the organism of the oak…The process of heightened subjectification of the cell tone to organ melody to organism symphony stands in direct contradiction to any mechanical process that represents the effect of one object on another object.
… As in the composition of a duet, the two voices have to be composed for each other note for note, point for point, the meaning factors in Nature stand in a contrapunctual relation to the meaning utilisers."

Jakob von Uexküll

Uexküll, J. v. (2010). A Foray into the Worlds of Animals (J. D. O'Neil, Trans.). In A Foray into the Worlds of Animals; with, A Theory of Meaning (pp. 39-135). University of Minnesota Press. (1934).

[Please be aware that a word may have different nuances, or even a different meaning, according to context.]« Back to Index