"Jon"  wrote in message
news:cels03$1785$1{at}darwin.ediacara.org...
> I have a concept in my head and I want a word or term for it.  The
> best I can come up with is "tends to continue" or "tends towards
> itself".  autoimpelled?  autoconducive?
>
> It is similar but not the same as: "self evident"
"axiomatic" "self
> assembling" "self replicating" "truism"
>
> Perhaps the opposite concept of preclude?  "postclude"? Something
> which tautologically exists; it exists because it exists.
>
> This is sort of related to the concept of fitness, survival, and
> evolution.  (Example: Why do biological systems try to survive?
> Because the ones that are better at surviving tend to survive more,
> and become the only type that exists.  They tend towards survival
> because survival tends towards survival.)
>
> Sort of related to the anthropic principal (Why are all of the
> fundamental constants in nature tuned so that we can exist?  If they
> weren't, you wouldn't be asking the question.)  (Sort of. I guess this
> is closer to "self-evident" than the word I am looking for.)
>
> I'm sorry these examples aren't very clear.  Some of these paragraphs
> are maybe slightly different concepts than others.  The concept is in
> my head, but I don't have a very clear way of describing it, which is
> the reason I am looking for words and clearer examples in the first
> place.  Can you help me solidify this concept?
>
> Sorry if this is not the best group to ask in, but there are a lot of
> related concepts.  Can you think of a better group to ask in?

That depends on whether your goal is to get information you can trust,
or to start a discussion.  There is a guy who hangs out over in
talk.origins - John Wilkins - who can probably provide some useful
guidance.

Personally, I disapprove of your apparent goal of finding one word
to encompass logical, biological, and cosmological (anthropic principle)
issues.  I predict that no good will come of combining these ideas.

For the logical part, I would recommend "tautological".  Another
possibility is "necessary".  Unless, that is, you want to describe
a statement, belief in which tends to somehow enhance belief.  In
that case, I would suggest "delusion".

For biology, the word that I prefer is "autopoieic".  You can learn
about this word on the web.

For cosmology - well, I am just too personally hostile to the concept
of any kind of necessary existence to help you out.

For the biological part
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