Etymologically, "atom" meant "undividable" or "indivisible" (e.g., to Democritus). "Splitting the atom" produced the atomic bomb. The atom had already been "split" into protons, neutrons and electrons, etc.; a nucleus and circling electrons (if that's what they do). These, in turn, have been further "split" into quarks, although the quarks have differing characteristics (can they be further "split")? But I digress.
I recall Collingwood's distinction between "kicking a bad dog" and "taking a good walk": the "walk" isn't "there" until it's taken. Similarly, it may be argued (as do the existentialists) that "life" is nothing more than the "living" of it. But that depends upon the kind of "life" under consideration; there is "life" in the biological sense (body) and "life" in an experiential sense. We may speak of "living a good life", a value judgment which would not necessarily apply merely to the biological sense (materially, what happens happens); if we value certain biological processes as (for example) more efficiently producing edible food sources, that imposes a value not inherent in the biological process (even an evolutionary principle such as "survival of the fittest" presupposes a value to survival).
Consciousness can be "split" into the brain (material) and the mind (thinking, perhaps - shades of DesCartes!). It is the experiential, conscious, thinking part that understands the material, biological part (experiences it, is conscious of it and thinks about it), and employs values in doing so.
Genesis 2:7 distinguishes the "dust of the ground" (material) from "the breath of life" (respiration is a biological process, which developed prior to the emergence of humankind in time). I would take "the breath of life" more metaphorically as referring to the emergence of consciousness. This, I think, is follows from the significance of Genesis 2:5-6. The earth was just "dust" before a "mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground", which allowed plants and herbs to grow. In Genesis 2:5, the plants and herbs had not yet started to grow because there was no rain; that was supplied by the "mist" in Genesis 2:6, and allowed "life" in the biological sense to emerge.
But other forms of "life" have "consciousness" in varying forms and degrees. Presumably there were other forms of "life" which did so before humankind emerged with its particular form (or forms) and degree (or degrees) of consciousness. To my way of thinking, "consciousness" is what a particular form of life (including humankind) makes of it. A universal, all pervading consciousness would be more of a goal to be achieved in varying degrees, as existing forms of consciousness seek communication and integration with other forms (whether that of particular individuals with shared perspectives or that of different forms seeking to apprehend such a connection).
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