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Autopoiesis and Cognition

The Realization of the Living

  • Book
  • © 1980

Overview

Authors:
  1. Humberto R. Maturana
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  2. Francisco J. Varela
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Part of the book series: Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science (BSPS, volume 42)

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Table of contents (13 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxx
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  2. Biology of Cognition (1970)

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-3
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    2. Introduction

      • Humberto R. Maturana, Francisco J. Varela
      Pages 5-6

    3. The Problem

      • Humberto R. Maturana, Francisco J. Varela
      Pages 7-7

    4. Cognitive Function in General

      • Humberto R. Maturana, Francisco J. Varela
      Pages 8-14

    5. Cognitive Function in Particular

      • Humberto R. Maturana, Francisco J. Varela
      Pages 15-40

    6. Problems in the Neurophysiology of Cognition

      • Humberto R. Maturana, Francisco J. Varela
      Pages 41-47

    7. Conclusions

      • Humberto R. Maturana, Francisco J. Varela
      Pages 48-56

  3. Back Matter

    Pages 57-58
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  4. Autopoiesis

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 59-61
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    2. Preface

      • Stafford Beer
      Pages 63-72

    3. Introduction

      • Humberto R. Maturana, Francisco J. Varela
      Pages 73-76

    4. On Machines, Living and Otherwise

      • Humberto R. Maturana, Francisco J. Varela
      Pages 77-84

    5. Dispensability of Teleonomy

      • Humberto R. Maturana, Francisco J. Varela
      Pages 85-87

    6. Embodiments of Autopoiesis

      • Humberto R. Maturana, Francisco J. Varela
      Pages 88-95

    7. Diversity of Autopoiesis

      • Humberto R. Maturana, Francisco J. Varela
      Pages 96-111

    8. Presence of Autopoiesis

      • Humberto R. Maturana, Francisco J. Varela
      Pages 112-123

  5. Back Matter

    Pages 124-145
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Keywords

About this book

This is a bold, brilliant, provocative and puzzling work. It demands a radical shift in standpoint, an almost paradoxical posture in which living systems are described in terms of what lies outside the domain of descriptions. Professor Humberto Maturana, with his colleague Francisco Varela, have undertaken the construction of a systematic theoretical biology which attempts to define living systems not as they are objects of observation and description, nor even as in­ teracting systems, but as self-contained unities whose only reference is to them­ selves. Thus, the standpoint of description of such unities from the 'outside', i. e. , by an observer, already seems to violate the fundamental requirement which Maturana and Varela posit for the characterization of such system- namely, that they are autonomous, self-referring and self-constructing closed systems - in short, autopoietic systems in their terms. Yet, on the basis of such a conceptual method, and such a theory of living systems, Maturana goes on to define cognition as a biological phenomenon; as, in effect, the very nature of all living systems. And on this basis, to generate the very domains of interac­ tion among such systems which constitute language, description and thinking.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Autopoiesis and Cognition

  • Book Subtitle: The Realization of the Living

  • Authors: Humberto R. Maturana, Francisco J. Varela

  • Series Title: Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8947-4

  • Publisher: Springer Dordrecht

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

  • Copyright Information: D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland 1980

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-90-277-1015-4Published: 30 April 1980

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-90-277-1016-1Published: 31 August 1991

  • eBook ISBN: 978-94-009-8947-4Published: 06 December 2012

  • Series ISSN: 0068-0346

  • Series E-ISSN: 2214-7942

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXX, 146

  • Additional Information: Originally published in Spanish

  • Topics: Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Biology

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