Entropy is the most fundamental philosophical insight there is.

[timtofly]

Why? Because without death, one cannot appreciate life?

 

[Perfection]

 

[uppi]

I don't understand your line of thinking at all. And I believe to know that you are not exactly unlikely to exceed my intellectual capabilities. Yet, sou seem very daft to me right now. Of course free energy is useless. Of course you need stable relations of energy exchange. Or call it equilibrium if you must (from my times with economics I came to resent this term).
What does this even - AT ALL - contribute to the discussion at hand? I am describing how a rock is not sentient and you are saying "Not really , you need x minerals for a rock to be rock and a dolphin won't at all be a rock".
Go figure.

My point is that entropy is not as important as you make it out to be. A system that has a stable temperature does not maximize entropy. Instead it minimizes free energy. If the free energy can be reduced by decreasing entropy, the system will do so. As an (admittedly crude) example: If you have a valley and put balls on various places on the slopes, the balls will roll down towards the lowest point, despite the balls all being at the lowest point is a state with lower entropy.

So at most, entropy is half the equation in life. Order can naturally arise from disorder, despite entropy. Therefore, I reject the notion that entropy is the most important insight.

 

[Lexicus]

I disagree entirely with one of the premises of the OP. Animals need not be concerned with 'truth' to survive, the evidence being the human animal which has manifestly evolved in such a way as to favor not perception of the truth, but sweeping self-deception.

 

[Mechanicalsalvation]

no it's not

Yes, it rather is.