The Natureof Life the Nature Death
Transcript of The Natureof Life the Nature Death
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Natureof Life and the Nature of Death
IS3
[Invlted Article, I.ecture)
Chandler McCuskey BROOiiS
Distinguished Profbssor, State C,Jniveasiip' of A'eu)`Vew }lork, N. T, J12C13 U. S.A.
York, l)ownstate tt4kdical Center.
Abstract :Life is dcfined as a "condition"
that distinguishes animats and p[ants from inorganic matcrials
and dead organisms. Lifl] is cornprised of processes and is a maintaincd statc. 'rhe
most
sophisticatcd form ofiife is man and our thought focuscs upon the nature ofthe Iife imd dcathof man. )dan demonstrates threc lives or aspects of 1{fc/ Life of the body-the physical, lifeof the mind and life of the spirit. Physical life is bas{c existence; the mind contribuLes
efiltctiveness and scope; thc spirituai entity contributes maximum living,
Pfp,siology : The existence of life physical is dcmonstraLcd b>・ the presence of
functions. I.iving tissues and organisms exhibit: 1> Irritability: the abirity Lo be excited or
detect stimuli and to responcl lhereto; 2 ) Growth ancl reproduction : this consists ol' the powerof rnultiplication and duplication, regencration and diflbrcntiatioii; 3) Adaptability ] permit-ting both change and maintenance of balanccs {homcostasis): and finally ancl most characterig-
tic of a]1 is 4) Metabolism : the transformation of energy and the use of matcrials,
'Fhesc
propertics, howcN,cr, can bc retained for a whilc by tissues aftttr death of the organism so thcrc
is another Triystery of lii'e whlch we understand enly in part. Life consists of structure and
processes operating under intcgrative control, 'l'his
integratiN,e power is thc secret wc do not
undcrstand・-we know it con{'crs all the life properties, the continuoiJs flow of processes related
to the erganisin's ncc(i for survival. Death is failurc not so much of proccss but of intcgra-
tive drivc and coordination-but, of cc')urse, structure and proccss can {'ail too, clcstroying
inLegrated actix.ity,
The total organism is uncler intcgrative control by hrain and mind, the autonomic ner-
vous system and by the neuroendocrine-endocrine coniplex, all acLing in unisori. 'I'hese
physical proccsscs contribute to the cxistencc of the lift: ot' the minci and spirit and arc in turn
powerfully affccted by intcllect and moralc. Hnwevcr, we do not understamd the driving
force which converts inorganic matter, organizes it and then propels it into life. Lift' secms
to bc only a continuation of a heritagc-life creating lifc/.
Philesoplp, : 1'he ]ife ef the rnind requires acquisitien of' know}edge, curiosity, cultivation of
the powcr to reason, use of thought and contemplation, aU under disciPtine. True life of the
mind may not exist and may ccasc to be evcn though physical existence inay be prcsent.
Somcwhat the same can be said of the ]ife of' the spirit; it also is not automatically
genetically grantccl in complcted form. It is comprjsed of $ympathy, acquircd apprcciation,
vision of what rnight be, the search for thc ultimatc, It, too, is more mortal and can failbefore death terminates physical existcnce. Thc life of the min[l and spirit enables man to
devclop cultures. Cultures, in turn, become major lbrces in the deterrnination of the quaiityof life of men. CulLures can deteriorate and die, a heritagc not sustained, and with this
failure therc is dcath of maxitnum lii,ing-man bcrcomes merely an existing physica] animal
ag'ain. Death comes in man), forms and from many c'auscs. It is a responsibiLity of man to
sustain ]ife. The scientist chicfl}, that of thc body and mind, the phi]osophcr chiefly that of
the mind and spirit. The good physician treats man, not his parts alone. He is responsi-
bie fbr $ustaining agl three forms of Iife-body, mind and spirit. Death of any onc tcnds to
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Kqy
C, M. BRooKs
terminatc all others, Is therc an immortalitv-life bcvond death? Therc are immortalitics t t
and th{s is rhe final secret to be learned. The life of the teacher, the good man, physician ls
like the wind and the rains of spring which bring life ancw froTn the dcad earth. Life
physicat and of the mind and spirit can be a continuum not terminatcd by death of the
individual's physical parr.
words : life, death, integrarion, mind, sprit,
(Lecture: 30 October l982)
Preface
There are very many practical ethical, sociological and psychological problems which
must be faced by those who deal with life and death and must hclp people meet this latter
contingency. My approach is more philosophical than immediately practical. I shall
attempt to define the spectrum of life and the nature of death. I shall make some
analyses but also attempt some totalistic thought concerning matters for which there are
no known answers.
This is an age of analytical and reductionist thought. The scientist seeks the minutia
of structure and of functional process to find the secret of life. Thus, he probes bayond its
essence and discovers only its parts, lt is indeed unique to find a school and a course in
which science is combined with philosophy in search for understanding of totalities such as
the nature of man, the {'undamental organized life forces and what terminates them in
death. This endeavor is a worth>, challenge to scho}arship-man's encleavor to uncler-
stand himseifi I appreciate your thought that I might penetrate to some degree the
grcatest of all mysteries-the nature of life and the nature ofdeath. I should like to start
this discourse by presenting two definitions of life.
First, however, I should like to acknowledge that I am again honored by being the
guest of President Kenzaburo Tsuchiya of this impressive institution, by Dr. Yukio Ito the
organizer of the course who asked me to present my concepts, and by・ Professor Hiroshi
Yamashita my, sponsor.
Introduction : Definitions
1. Webster's unabridged dictionary defines life as the C[conditioni'
that distinguishes
animals and plants from inorganic matter and dead organisms. Elsewhere this unique
"condition" is described as consisting of
4Cdistinguishing phenomena," Life is a condition
identiped ij? phenomena. The problem of understanding life requires comprehension of the
condition, the life phenemena-their origin. Death is identified by cessation of these
phenomena and destruction of the living condition,
The first implication of this thought is that iijb is a maintained phenomenon, Death is
the coilapse of the sustaining process-in death there is no intake, no output-it is a null
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state-the body becomes matter, mere substance.
2, The life and death with which we are concerned is that of MAN. To be sure,
the earthworm, the eel, the bird and the bear also live and die, but the cycle of their
existence is onl>r a shadow of that displayed by man. Wc thus shall consider man, the
most sophisticatecl form of life ever created. Some things said will he applicable to all
forms ef life but others will pertain only to the unique properties of MAN, iredFanis lijb has
matg), attributes ; il4ants lifa is more than mere existence of animate matter.
The Nature of Life
There are three lives passessed by man and I have expressed this thought in dia-
gramatic forrn.
Diagram l: Components of LijZ,
Normally in considering life and death "'e think only of the basic physical-the
existence of life in the body. This might be called the animal-man. Some men seem
little more than animals in their behavior and capabilities. But what is lij2i pllysical-howis it identijied? I will deal with that question soon, but I wish first to propose other
questlons.
Man possesses an ability, an entity, we call the mind, This contributes scope and
tfactiveness to life i the power to learn complicated things, power to remember, pewer to
reason and understand, desire to know, the ability to preject into the future, It contri-
butes a life far superior to that attained by any ether form or by animalistic man.
Pd,Zat generates the lijk of the mind and wlp does the tip of the mind so qf}en die?
A third life is that of the spirit. I.ife of body and mind are basic to this quality that
is comprised of .v,mpatlp, Zove of beauty, vision of good and what might be, consciousness qf
responsibility for others. Men of all time have sensed an essence in life, a determinative
essence which they have termed the spirit of man. The spiritual can be deveioped but
it, as an entity, can also die. The spirit has either not been born or has died in the
The nature of life
Life of the body- Life of rhe Life of the
physieal = mind = spir'it
l l i Existence EffectuaHife Maxirnum living
xx l /
Contributien to the osscnce
I)iagram I
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criminals of the world. In some culture men relate this presencc of spirit to a percttivcd
essence in life they call God-the:p say the spirit is God in man.
N'Vhat resources do the nzind and ,vbirit contribute to the attainment of high quality of
life, physical as well as cultural, and to the ability to face death and not be de{'eated
therebv? '
'rhesc
questions pertain to the nature oflife and dcath. It is, hoxsiever, log.ical to first
discuss the nature of basic ph}'sical before struggling with the super powers of man.
CA] Ph.ysical L(fh: The questlon-how do we know lifc exists-what are its
characteristics? This is basic ph},,siology. A second diagram shows the properties-thccharactcristics of lifc: they are -fitnctions.
Diagram fl i Properties of' Lijb
1. X,Ve know something' is living if it responds to a stirriulus, This characteristic is
callecl irritabiliij). It is present in all body, parts although there are specializecl sensors:
the eye, the ear, the pressure-touch corpuscles. "Je have cells specialized for sensing and
cells specialized for respending. <contracting, secr ¢ Ling).
You all know that cells build and sustain membranes and the membrane confers
excitability. The merribrane has a sustained state of sclective pc:rmeability and a polariza-tion charg'e. t t
W'e can use a microelectrode to rec;ord the state of a membrane-it is polarized with
a charge of 70-100 millivoits. This we cail resting potential and it reveals the respon-
siveness of the cell-if thc potential i$ too Low, it is unresponsive. X・Vhen we apply
[r'ritftbililx,
Growth and
Adapzabillty
Ba]aii{/e and
beIetabolis]n
The ident'IficaLinri of life
,l v
Bv iL.s funct.iotis
1 Excirubility and Lhe nbilitv to r'espond
reproduction 1 N'lulLiplicativti and duplicaLion
Regener'alion and repair
DIffere-tiation
I AdjustmenL te change and r'equivemer)t
homeosl.asis
: The c"nvet'sion of cnergy
The use ef materials
Diagram ]
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f['he
Naturc'/ ot' Life' and the Nature of Dcalh t37
stimuli which excite by depolarization we perceive a resista,nce on the part of the cell-a
threshold degrce of depolarization must be created to excite, The cell is not
passive. Heart ccils, nervc cells, Jnuscle cells, secretory cel]s all show similar resistive
and adaptive and responsc preperties.
Application of a stimulus of suMcient (threshold) strength evokes an electrical re-
sponse-an action potential-a spreading dcpolarization and a recovery. Some cells,
pacemakers, show intrinsic activity-a rhythm c)f depolarization and repolarization inde-
pendent of application of extcrnal energy.
If the cell is a cardiac or skeletal muscle cell, the electrical response triggers a
contraction; in secretory cells, a secretion. X'Ve call this excitation-contraction coupling,
excitation-secretion coupling.
The point I emphasize is that the ceil reacts as a sustained and organized
unit. Thus, the membrane state confers life but the cell creates, sustains and repairs its
own membrane, So l(fa coqfars irritability and is idkntpted b.v irritabigity.
2. Groifpth and Roproduction : Trees grow, grass grow's, animals grow, wounds heal, life
has the power of regeneration, duplication (sex is a drive to duplicate),
detl'erentiation. The cell restores its membrane or builds new membrane -this
requires
synthesis- the buitding of the neiv, 71his is grou)th and roproduction, Death anihilates growth-dead matter does not grow or reproduce itsel£
3. Adopiabigit.? ] I read just a few days ago that a little minnow-the killifish-adapts
to cold and hot water. Those that live in the north have more enzyme of a
type, Thcy can swim faster and }onger at top speed than can their southern relatives
with less enzyme, but the enzyme oi' the southern fish is less easily destroyed by heat so
they do betrer in the tropical ternperature than do their northern relatives. XNJe all adapt
to changing physical and socio-political states and thus survive. Adaptability is another
of the unique characteristics of living tissue. Jt is a mq7'or ingredient qf' success and aicts in the
avoidance of death.
4, Batance and Homeostasis: Change is essential but so is a degree of constance which
must be maintained. Both require elaborate integrative actions, Let us consider, for
example, the complex chain of reactions involved in maintenance of a relative constant
blood sugar levei; the prevention of diabetes and of hypoglycemic convulsions,
Liver and muscles store glucose as glycogen when there is an excess. X,Vhen blood
sugar levels fa11, gluconeogenesis occurs ffom storcd glycogen, Insulin from the pancreasliberatcd undcr neural and direct glucosc drive aids in metabolism and
storage. Glucagon is released to prevent hypoglycemia. Practicakly all endocrine
glands as well as the nervous system are involved in maintaining carbehydrate
balances, In the Chinese and Greek heritage ef medicine-health is lit'e in 'balance
and
disease is imbalance.
5, Metabolism: The basic process of life i$ its metabolism-the conversion of use of
cnergy and specific materials. NVe recognize its presence by liberation ef heat andlor use
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of energy sourccs and materials.
What triggers and drives metabolism is a secret of life. When metabolism ceases
due to poisoning of its enzymes, to absence of materials or energy sources-life
ceases, Death occurs, Hunger is a signal of metabolic need-also a warning against
an approach to death.
We know that each individual requires some 2500 calories per day and very well
defined quantities of proteins, fats, minerais and vitamins if our rnetabolism is to be
sustained and our life and normal actixity is to continue,
Yet death of the body occurs before metabolic activity in many cells ceases. Death
is caused usually by cessation of metabolism in the few cells responsibie for delivery of
materiais needed-respiratory center and heart. tl4etabotism is the most fandamental kev to
lijb and ,failure of' metabotism is death.
Respiratory machines and artificial pumps can maintain something resembling life in
the body, But is a body passive, uncontrolled by inclependent mind and spirit,
living? Existence of these 5 properties of life does not guite eapZain its nature or
origin. Death identifies their absence but what starts the fZow of'Processes that coitf2ir these
proPerties? NVhat develeps the essential integrative control? This is cenferred by
heredity. I.ife does not start de novo from inanimate matter-man struggles to create
life and has many myths and scientific theories as to how it may have occurred, but as of
now life comes only from life. '
To summarize-let us take a look at another analysis of life as made by the
reductionist, N"v"hat is essential?
Diagram III: PlpsicaX Ltfk
The morphologist seeks the ultimate component of structure; the biochemist and the
physiologist seek the ultimate process, They speak of membranes, sodium-calcium chan-
nels, ionic fluxes, molecular and cnzymatic reactions, But they probe beyond the secret
of life,
7)he l7irst Secret of LijZi : It is the intagrative fitnction that comprises the essenoe of lijb-the cell
produces the membrane, the membrane controls the ceil, Cells combine to from the
organ, organ systems comprise the body. Integrativc control is essential if the parts are
to serve the whole, Integrative control confers life upon organic tissues, thus the nature
and origin of integrative control as a secret of life-the structure of the control system can
be diagrammed.
Diagram IV: 71he Control El)istem
Description of what is known of the interactive control occurring within cells, organs,
the body as a whole would be a tremendous undertaking but a requirement fbr the
comprehension of the nature of life.
Thus we have living materials organized by control mechanism prefbrming integrated
function-this results in life. Destruction or failure of integrative control as well as
failure or process results in death of the organism and even the cell. This is the first secret.
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'I'hc Nature ofl.if'c and theNature ef Death IB9
Thecomponentsoi physica] ]lfe
InLegr'at,ix,e
Structurai potentia}ity
J The fEow of processcs
J Integrative controL
, Life
c/{)ntro] of proeesses and the
Diagram M
tota]ity
L2,Inherent
Intrinsic
l) Thc2)
The3)
The
The first sec:ret of life
bztegrative activns and controt
integrative control of the cellular leve]
inLegrative contrel ol c]rgan systems and the
hierareh.v in the aentral nem・'ous system
autonomlc nervous $ystom
neuroendocr'ine - endoerine systems
Diagram ]l
individual
(B] Reeuirements for Lijii of the Mind and the opirit Mind and spirit confer scope and quality. The mind bypasses the barriers of time
and space and the spirit cenfers purpose and great adaptability. A diagram may be
used to summarize the concept.
Diagram V: Zhe Reeuirementsfor Lijb
This portrays the contributions of the mind and spirit to life, Failure of the spirit
reduces the scope and quality and resiliance ef life. Failure of the mind and its contribu-
tiens reduces man to animalistic levels of existence-the pure physical.
The major point I wish te make is that the physicai, the mental, the spiritual are
mutually dependent, Together they can create an environment which greatly the peten-tial of man for life-life of the mind and spirit-most efi'ectively.
In order to attain lijle of the mind and sPirit man had to create a favorable llfle condition-a
.fiivorable environment, a culture, 71his, Perhops, is a secend secret of lijb,
Dzagram
This
TheRole
Zl: Chrlture Dofned
diagram defines what I
andEffects of a
refer to as cu
Culture
lture - highculture.Menhavedeveloped
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Thc r'equ{, ]'ernents r-r [ ,/ fe
1. C)i' the miT'/cl
KiLowlcdge
Curiositx'
The euLLix,ation of rcason
'I']
o culLIyatiun [)f thouglit and
DisuipLinu
Lt. Of the spir'il
Synipath.v
.nLI)I)T'CC/iELtiOrl
Aeceptanee of responsibili i.v
Vi.sion ot' what might be
'Fhe
searc/h fer the ultiTnate
Diagram V
contemplazion
'1'he
soc//io ・
'['hat
The cL]ltuyc/ of
{'/xistence
! eI')
r'ini itiv" rnan
Tho c,ulture ef
Lhe ph.v・ lj icaL
・Objcc.Livc, : Te sur'vive ar/d
te acquit'e /1 goods and po",e]' 1/
Diagram VI
Ct・itture dei'ined
political and ph),sical eT",lromuent
mall er'eates and lives in
.X'Iaxirnal eultural
aUainrnenl.
,The sophistiratefl LiE'e
The cu]Lur'e of zhe mi/id
and spirit
lObiective: To live
maxima]l.v
a number of distinct cultures of high quality, . All of them are determinative in view of
the nature and potential of life. All defme the nature and significance of death:
Oriental C,ultures -
Chinese, Japanese Hindu Cultures of India and Indonesia
Islamic Culturc of the Near East
rv{ayan Culture (Western) No", Dead
Western Culture : Greek, Hebrew, Germanic (European) Christian Culture
Diagram VUI: 71he Components qfa Culture
This describes the components determinative of a culture's nature, It also shows
the powcr of cultures to bc determinatix,e of the qualities of the life of man.
What determines whethcr or not the mind and spirit will develop normally or fail to
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dcveiop? Of course, there is a genetic determinism of the ability of body and the mind
although this is not accepted by many. Regardless of whether or not some men lack the
genetic equipment for high intelligence, it is probably the cultural environment they live in
and create which is determinative of their attainrrient. At any rate, it (culture) appears
to be equally important and probably more determinative. The mind will not develop in
an animalistic surrounding devoid of enrichmcnt by mental activity and idealism of purpose,
71he second secret of lijb is the determinism of the cultural environment evogving .from the oforts ofman to Produce maximum lijb. il4an lives in tzvo environments,
Diagram P7U: Cuttures-7')Se Second Secret of Ltfa
By saying a high culture promotes life I mean all three aspects of life-even physicalhealth. Failure of a culture mcans collapse of society and all its ability to provide safety,
health and the stimulus fbr maxirnum Iiving.
This secret of life is to preserN'e the culture your ancestors created fbr you especially if
it is a good one. lvzProv/e it and preserve it, advance it but be very careful what you
adopt from elscwhere.
The natur(.t of a c'ulLur'e
rts eornposiLion and quality as deLet'rnined b},
Izs re]igion
Its svstem of ethics "
Its educational sysLem and its object{ves
'l'he
atLainment irt the aris and literature
The qualit>., of its ]eader$hip
The state of Lhe masses
its deterrnini$m relative to ]ife
Its r'olc in cleveloping thc inin(f
H,s socio - spfi i'itual contribution to the qualiLy of life
Its role in defining lnd[vidual and col]eetivE}
r{/sponsibi]ity for the thrce ]ives
Diagram VIr
A secDnd secrct of ]ile
Man lives in t.wo environments
1. That of the physieal world -・hich he either
protects or destroys
2, That of his culturc,, "'hic/h he eiLher
advanees or permits Lo disintegrate
Preservation of cu]ture promotes lifc; itsdestruction hastens death
1)iagram wn
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This raises the question of resp
but before concluding that thought
death.
onsiI
C. )v{, BRooKs
biZity: Life is
should like intrinsically and
tQ say somethingextrinsically
sustained
about the nature of
The Nature of Death
Diagram LY: Zhe IVdture of' Death
This diagram illustrates the thought that life can be diminished and then
ended. There can be dcath of the spirit, death of the mind without physical disintegra-
tion and death ol' the bodv as an ultimate. i
The competent physician knows that spirit and mind have great healing power which
is mysterious in its action. Determination and wish to live and desire to accomplish
something will not prevent death but they have strength to resist it. If this is so, then
the physician has responsibility to aid the spirit, the mind as will as treating the body.
Can death be defeated? Is there an immortality? There is in my culture. 7'72is
is a 3rd secret qf lofb-attainment of immortality and victory over death.
Diagram X: Concopts of Immertality
1. Physical death cannot forever be defeated, Yet, the body does return to mother
earth and enters the chain of life. This concept of immortality gives little cornfort.
2. The contributions of the mind confer a more satisfactory immortality; they are
preserved in man's accumulated knowiedge fi/om which new knowledge grows. Some
men will be long remembered for the accomplishments of their minds.
3, 1'here is an immortality in ones culture-if one has preserved and contributed to
it'
4, Therc is an immortality contributed by the spirit. This is an immortality con-
ferred by an alliance with the good-one does not desire the immortality of evil, Some
speak of immortality as a return to God-the creator, the sustainer of the spirit of good,
To be sure, individuality, and name may be lost but if what one works for is immortal '-so
ls man,
Death is from disuse, isolation from th ¢ flow of life, lack of involverncnt in physical,
mental spiritual living. Life is cyclical and death of the body, of the cell is inevitable
but there are ways of making it a fu1fi11ment, not a defeat.
1 have two more thoughts as
1. Responsibility fbr life and
Diagram M: M,ihe is Responsible
This presents a concept of our
for reducing the pain of death.
Conclusion
I conclude this
death
several
adventure.
responsibilitie$ fbr thepreservatlonof life and
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The nature ef deatl]
Decath of the DeaLh of the
b
spirit mind
".t-.t. t-
i I.oss of l.oss of
qualir}, usefulness
L t'r" "'
'--.
tt t..
[)eath of the
})ody ' phy, sicai
- --J
Lvss of ph},sical
exlstence
.--
Diagram M
A third secret of life
Concepts of immortaltty
The physiea]: Dust to dust returneth: The life c}
de.at,h ma]tes life possible
The contribution to know]edge and intellecLual
aspivations
Jmmortaiity by contribution to the eultural h{,'i'itage
'I'he
irnmorta]iL.v in and ot' the spirit-In alHance
",ith the good or with the evi]
Diagram X
laU]-
Conclusien 1
Responsibilities
for
Life or death
Thebody-phy, sical The rnind"'
t. --
The spirit
"LmT
The scientist, the
engineer, ete.
-L L
Thephilosopher', tlie
scholar, ete.
LThe physician
Dlagram M
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(1]onclusion 2
Everv maTi and woman is a teacher
iNn ancient chinese poet said
15x R X MI x if t" ?ft
wa ,tvrv)
"Goocl
teaching' Iike the wind and rain of spring brings lif'e ane}v fi'oni thc dead earth"
, Docs not this attainab}e quality reduce the sting ol' dcathl]
Diagram XII'
2. Finally, is thcre any visible ultimate attainable objective? I can namc onc.
Diagram IWI: Attainment
This is a statement from the cultural roots of the Orient relative to thc nature of life
and the naturc of death,
This writing states that good teaching, the good physician, a good life., creates new
life thus defeating death.
XSJe do not know the secrets of the life force. Life springs from life-it is a heritage
we must preserve and not destro>i.
Absolute death is dealh of a culture, death of' inind and spirit as well as that of inan.
X'Vc can knovv・ that each of' us will leave something bchind us after death which will echo in
the annals and lives of men to come as long as life exists, Attainment・ of an immortality
depends largely on what we can and wish to do, 'Iihere
is some choice in this matter of
life and death.
* A study of the ancient litcrature has revcaled that the four cl]aracters used as a concept #)wtLItas had a
dual urigin,
Two ef the charactcrs ft'[tg which litcrally mean trtt]sforrning rain, were first ysed by Mencius to speak
of Confucius.
He
likenecl
what Confucius did as a great tea[/her to pevpic to what the timely rain does to all growing things.
'
The
other
two eharucLers #za which mcan the gentle breeze of the Spring, were first used by Kuang-
Ting Chu, a schoLar of the Sung dynasty. Hc described his feeling uf bcing with his belox,cd teacher'
}vting-Duu Cheug as sitting in the gentle breeze c)f the Spring.
Later
peeple uscd to use these four characters together to exprcss their appreciation ofand tl]eir respect tbr thcir teachers.
From Hsin-Hsiang Lu December 26, l982
The UOEH Association of Health Sciences
NII-Electronic Library Service
The UOEH Assooiation of Health Soienoes
The Naturc ofL 渝 and thじ Nature ofDea ほ1 145
生 と は 何か , 死 と は何 か
Chandler McCuskey BRooKs
二 .ユ ーヨ ーク州立大学 特別名.誉教 授
要 旨: 本論文 の 内容 は 1982年 10月 30 凵 に 本学医学概論σ)授業 と し て 講義 さ れ た もの で あ る .
人間 の 生命 に は 身体,精神,霊性 の 二 つ の 側 面 が あ っ て ,こ の う ち ど の 一.・つ が 欠 け て も全
体の 死 に つ な が る .身体的生命の 特徴 と し て 被刺激性,成 長 と 生殖 ,適 応牲 , 代謝 の 四 っ
が あ げ られ る が,こ れ ら要素 の 集合が 即 生命で は な く,全体 を.』つ に ま と め る統 合力が 身
体的生命の 本質で あ る.精神 と して の 宅命 は 知性,合理 的 思 考 な ど を 含み ,霊性 と して の
生命 は 共感,未来 へ の 洞察,究概的 な 存在の 探求な ど を 含む .精神 も霊 性 も身体的 生 命の
死 と共 に 終 る、不死 の 生命 の 問題 は 永遠 の 謎 で あ る.精 神 と 霊 性 は 人 間の 文化 を形成 し,
逆 に 文化 は 生 命 の 質を 規定す る.文化の 死 が お こ れ ば 人 間 は 単 な る 野 生 動 物 に 戻 る だ ろ う.
科学者.ぱ主 に 身体と精字申を,哲 学砦 は 梢神 と 霊 性 を取 γ〕扱 う.良 き 医 師 と し て の 人 生 は ,
人間 の一
部 分 の み に注 目す る こ と な く,「春風化雨」 と い う詩句 に 表わ さ れ れ て い る よ
うに 死 せ る 大地か ら新,仁二な生命を生 み 出す もの で な けれ ば な らな い .(訳 責 : 伊藤幸郎 )
J・UOEH I:産業医鵡 1,
5 (2)・ ISI3− 145 (1983)
N 工工一Eleotronio Library