Whitehead makes the startling observation that "life is comparatively deficient in survival value." If humans can only exist for about a hundred years, and rocks for eight hundred million, then one is forced to ask why complex organisms ever evolved in the first place; as Whitehead humorously notes, "they certainly did not appear because they were better at that game than the rocks around them." He then observes that the mark of higher forms of life is that they are actively engaged in modifying their environment, an activity which he theorizes is directed toward the three-fold goal of living, living well, and living better. In other words, Whitehead sees life as directed toward the purpose of increasing its own satisfaction. Without such a goal, he sees the rise of life as totally unintelligible. COUNT 10
QSN1 What observation did Whitehead make about life? ANS1 "life is comparatively deficient in survival value." QSN2 What did Whitehead state was the biggest indicator of a higher form of life? ANS2 they are actively engaged in modifying their environment QSN3 What did Whitehead believe are the goals f life? ANS3 living, living well, and living better QSN4 What did Whitehead believe was the fundamental purpose of life? ANS4 increasing its own satisfaction QSN5 Whitehead observes that life is deficient in what? ANS5 survival value QSN6 What are higher life forms actively engaged in? ANS6 modifying their environment QSN7 How many goals of living is there? ANS7 three QSN8 Whitehead sees life as directed towards what purpose? ANS8 increasing its own satisfaction QSN9 Without Whitehead's proposed purpose, life would be what? ANS9 unintelligible QSN10 What was Whitehead's response to questions about why complex life evolved? ANS10 "they certainly did not appear because they were better at that game than the rocks around them."