The Origin of Life, Agency & Purpose: Terrence Deacon’s Theory

Podcasts Science & Progress

The Origin of Life, Agency & Purpose: Terrence Deacon’s Theory

November 11, 2025

1 min read

Podcast audio:

In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Ben Bayer, Tristan de Liege, and Mike Mazza discuss Jeremy Sherman’s book, Neither Ghost Nor Machine: The Emergence and Nature of Selves.

Topics include:

Science and Philosophy;

Deacon’s Autogen Theory;

Other Theories of the Origin and Nature of Life;

Implications for Understanding Free Will;

Implications for Moral Philosophy.

Resources:

Harry Binswanger, The Biological Basis of Teleological Concepts

This episode was recorded on October 10, 2025, and posted on November 11, 2025. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Watch archived podcasts here.

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