Biological Homeostasis and Existentialist Intelligence

Hey – like the flashy title?

This is just an excerpt from my final biology project. My goal was to describe how the organ systems of the body work together to maintain homeostasis, putting into practice all the known types of intelligence according to Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. Here’s the excerpt from the “existentialist intelligence” exercise –

Kinda cheesy, I know. But I got an A!

[size=75]And, for those curious, I got all A’s this semester (U.S. history – the first half, critical thinking for writing, astronomy, and human biology), by the grace of God.[/size]

Signature parking:

I’m parking that here 'til my return (assuming that does happen).

A joke in parting:

“It’s a sham. It’s poo. It’s shampoo!” – ex-cult member, on brainwashing

See you on the other side of summer…

Organs compete against each other as well as helping one another.

Also, illness often leads to greater health; to become ill and then, for a longer time, to become healthy - healthier than one originally was.

Maybe this is nothing, and fruitless. I’m going to spit it out, just in case it isn’t nothing, and potentially has fruit to bear.

I recently replied to Jakob in my Napoleon thread “I never said I love compulsively, against my will.” It reminded me of Phil 27 of 79’s “Are you evil?” thread, where I discuss the intention and blind will (heuristic intention) behind the other-focus of heroic (loving, self-sacrificial) acts.

And this connection was made:

Align your will with the will of God, so that by habit you will perform God’s will even when there is no time for thought.

If you make an effort to behave against inclination, that inclination is not your will. That you want to make and do make an effort against it describes who you want to be (and therefore already are). Your inclination is an obstacle to who you want to be, like a broken leg is an obstacle to where you want to go. That inclination is just like a broken leg and does not describe your will. Who you struggle to be, and where you struggle to go describe your will. It’s like when you quit smoking cold-turkey, but still experience the pangs for nicotine – your body/brain wants it (but it is not your will) – it is not you who wants it. It is also like when you decide you are going to change your eating and exercising habits to permanently get rid of accumulated flab – that flabby body does not reflect the current state of your will. That flab is like the light of stars (hehe) – it is like looking into the past.

Body versus spirit is the theme, Impious. If you can fit your comment into the theme, go for it. If that’s what you were doing, you’ll have to spell it out for me.

My last post, Part II.

Earlier I said…

Earlier in Phil 27 of 79’s “Are you evil?” thread I wrote –

It is interesting that you can not love unintentionally (if you grant intention to animals who love… insofar as it is not against their will to show affection or perform selfless acts of heroism… if you grant that level of love as love, and I do), but you can sin unintentionally. I guess you could unintentionally conform to God’s will if you didn’t know that loving is God’s will. The only problem with that is the love of which we are capable apart from God is a mere hint of the love He desires to share with us, and in turn share with eachother.