De-Anthropomorphizing the Mind: Life as a Cognitive Spectrum: A Unified Framework for Biological Minds

The nature of cognition, intelligence, and consciousness has long been a topic of debate across multiple disciplines, often constrained by anthropocentric perspectives. This paper challenges these traditional views by proposing a unifying framework that considers cognition as a broad spectrum encompassing all living organisms, from bacteria to humans. By de-anthropomorphizing the concept of the mind, we explore cognition as an emergent process that manifests through diverse mechanisms, including neural and non-neural systems. We examine the continuum of sentience, intelligence, and awareness across various biological entities, emphasizing their role in adaptive behavior and decision-making. The study further discusses the implications of this framework for artificial intelligence, philosophy, and ethics, highlighting the necessity of precise conceptual definitions. Ultimately, this work aims to refine our understanding of intelligence and cognition, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and advancing the development of artificial cognitive systems.