Schrödinger’in Yaşam Nedir? Kitabı, Gen-Merkezcilik ve Biyolojik Organizasyon

Yıl 2021, Sayı: 1, 33 - 51, 25.04.2021

Çağlar Karaca

Öz

Bu makalede, Erwin Schrödinger’in kuramsal biyolojiye önemli bir katkıda bulunan Yaşam Nedir? adlı kitabındaki fikirlerini ve bu kitabın da etkisiyle gelişen gen-merkezci yaklaşımı eleştirel olarak değerlendirmeyi amaçlıyorum. Schrödinger’in canlılık konusundaki entelektüel mirasının tartışmaya açılması moleküler biyolojinin yaşam bilimlerinde hakim hale gelişinin ve yaşamın organizasyona dayalı temelinin anlaşılması açısından özel bir önem taşıyor. Yayınlandığından beri biyoloji felsefesinde önemli tartışmaları beraberinde getiren Yaşam Nedir? kitabı, yaşamı termodinamiğin yasaları doğrultusunda ele alması açısından biyolojide organizasyonu vurgular. Bununla birlikte Schrödinger’in canlılığın kodu olarak tasavvur ettiği aperiyodik kristal kavramı gen-merkezciliği destekleyen öncül fikirleri barındırmaktadır. Schrödinger, canlı varlıkların doğadaki entropi artışı eğilimiyle baş etmesi gereken nitelikte olması gerektiğini savundu ve bu görüş, canlılığa dair temel bir ilke olarak yaygın kabul gördü. Schrödinger’in yaşamın düzenliliğini mikro düzeyde aperiyodik kristal hipotezi ile açıklama girişimi ise nispeten daha tartışmalıdır. Makalede, bu tartışmalı konuları aydınlatmak amacıyla Schrödinger ve ardından gelişen gen-merkezci yaklaşımlara yönelik eleştirileri ele alıyorum. Ardından, gen-merkezciliğin sınırlılıklarına karşı yaşamın organizasyonunun organizma seviyesinde ele alınması değerlendiriyorum. Bu görüş, Kant’ın self-organizasyon kavramıyla tanımladığı, parça-bütün ilişkilerindeki karşılıklılığı temel alır. Son olarak, yaşamın organizasyonuna dair felsefî yaklaşımları ve entropinin buradaki rolünü tartışıyorum. Organizma düzeyinde ve organizma-çevre ilişkisindeki çoklu etmenlerin geri-besleme ilişkilerine dayanan ağ yapısı, gen-merkezciliğin indirgemeci yaklaşımına karşı kapsayıcı bir alternatif sunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

gen-merkezcilik, Schrödinger, Kant, self-organizasyon, indirgemecilik

Schrödinger’s What is Life?, Gene-Centrism, and Biological Organization

Öz

In this paper, I address Erwin Schrödinger’s contribution to theoretical biology in What is Life? and the gene-centric approach, which was influenced by Schrödinger’s book, from a critical point of view. Discussing Schrödinger’s intellectual heritage in this area is essential for understanding how molecular biology has become dominant in life sciences and why life is based on organization. Since it was published, Schrödinger’s book led to significant discussions in philosophy of biology due to considering life in relation with the laws of thermodynamics. On the other hand, Schrödinger’s notion of the aperiodic crystal was preliminary to the idea that genes are the code of life. Schrödinger held the view that living things have to cope with the increase of entropy, and this view has been widely adopted as a basic principle of life. Yet, Schrödinger’s attempt at explaining life’s order based on the hypothesis of the aperiodic crystal is rather controversial. In this context, I discuss Schrödinger’s ideas and gene-centrism, as well as the alternative view for gene-centrism based on life’s organization at the organism level. The latter is in line with the Kantian understanding of life that considers reciprocity of the part-whole relations within an organism. Finally, I discuss philosophical approaches towards life’s organization and the role of entropy. The networks of multiple factors at the level of organism and across the relations between the organism and its environment, which involve feedback relations, provide a viable and comprehensive alternative against gene-centrism.

Anahtar Kelimeler

gene-centrism, Schrödinger, Kant, self-organization, reductionism

Kaynakça

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