Humberto Maturana’s view on the theory of evolution. From autopoiesis to natural drift metaphor
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/v10090-010-0019-7Keywords
Santiago School of Biology, self-organization, principles of biological autonomy, structural coupling, enactive approachAbstract
Today in the scientific circle Humberto Romensin Maturana is considered the creator of the so-called Santiago School of Biology (also known as Biology of Cognition). Biology of Cognition is a research programme seeking an explanation of the phenomenon of cognitive functions of living organisms through the concepts of self-organization (from dynamical systems theory) and structural coupling (from cybernetics).
Maturana’s novel view is based upon research conducted with such prominent scientists like Warren McCulloch, Francisco J. Varela or Heinz von Foerseter. After many years of study of complex organic systems the research resulted in formulation of the following theories: autopoiesis of living systems (with F. J. Varela) and the evolutionary metaphor of natural drift (with J. Mpodozis). Theory of autopoiesis (self-production) shows how organic cells organize themselves in producing inner organic self components needed for maintaining homeostatis, natural barriers and remaining cognitive at the molecular level. By contrast, the metaphor of natural drift can be understood as the history of diversification and adaptation of species in relation to many structural levels of the environment.
The following article constitutes a brief introduction to a critical way of thinking of the said Chilean theoretical biologist and philosopher, established during his long-lasting research. The paper will outline the basic concepts and theoretical implications relevant to modern biological sciences, with particular emphasis on the classical theory of evolution.
References
Boden M., 2000, Autopoiesis and life, Cognitive Science Quarterly 1: 117-145.
Boycott B. B., Lettvin J. Y., Maturana H. R. & Wall P. D., 1965, Octopus Optic Responses, Experimental Neurology 12: 247-56. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14314553, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0014-4886(65)90070-1
Camus P. A., 2000, Evolution in Chile: natural drift versus natural selection, or the preservation of favoured theories in the struggle for knowledge, Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 73.
Detours V., Bersini H, Stewart J. & Varela F. J., 1994, Development of an idiotypic network in shape space, Journal of Theoretical Biology 170: 401-14. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/jtbi.1994.1201
Dell P., 1985, Understanding Bateson and Maturana: Towards a biological foundation for the social sciences, Journal of Marital Family Therapy 11: 1-20.
Fleischaker G., 1988, Autopoiesis: the status of its system logic, BioSystems 22: 37-49. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3191219, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0303-2647(88)90048-2
Foerster H., 1973, On constructing a reality, [in] Observing Systems: 288-309.
Ganti T., 1975, Organization of chemical reactions into dividing and metabolizing units: the chemotons, BioSystems 7: 15-21. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1156666, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0303-2647(75)90038-6
Ganti T., 2003, The Principles of Life, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Kauffman S., 1993, The Origins of Order: Self-Organization and Selection in Evolution, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Kincaid D. L., 1987, The Convergence Theory of Communication, Self-Organization, and Cultural Evolution, [in:] D. L. Kincaid (ed.), Communication Theory: Eastern and Western Perspectives, Academic Press, San Diego, California.
Krippendorff K., 1987, Paradigms for Communication and Development with Emphasis on Autopoiesis, [in:] D. L. Kincaid (ed.), Communication Theory: Eastern and Western Perspectives, Academic Press, San Diego, California.
Lettvin J. Y., Maturana H., McCulloch W. S. & Pitts, W. H., 1959, What the frog’s eye tells the frog brain, Proceedings of The Institute of Radio Engineers 47(11): 233-258.
Lewontin R. C., 1983a, The organism as the subject and object of evolution, Scientia 188: 65-82.
Lewontin R. C., 1983b, Biological determinism, Tanner Lectures on Human Values 4: 147-183.
Lewontin R. C., 1991, Biology as ideology: The doctrine of DNA, Harper Collins, New York.
Luhmann N., 1986, The autopoiesis of social systems, [in:] F. Geyer & J. van der Zouwen, (eds.), Sociocybernetic Paradoxes, Sage, London.
Luhmann N., 1987, Closure and openness: On reality in the world of law, [in:] G. Teubner (ed.), Autopoiesis and the Law, de Gruyter, Berlin.
Luisi P. L., 2006, The Emergence of Life: From Chemical Origins to Synthetic Biology, Cambridge University Press.
Luisi P. L., 2002, Emergence in chemistry: chemistry as the embodiment of emergence, Foundations of Chemistry 4(3): 183-200.
Luisi P. L., Lazcano A. & Varela F. J., 1996, What is life? Defining life and the transition to life, [in:] M. Rizzotti (ed.), Defining life: the central problem in theoretical biology, Edizione Universit di Padova, Padua.
Luisi P. L. & Varela F. J., 1989, Self-replicating micelles: a chemical version of minimal autopoietic systems, Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres 19: 633-643.
Maturana H. R., 1975, The organization of the living: A theory of the living organization, International Journal of Man-Machine Studies 7: 313-332. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0020-7373(75)80015-0
Maturana H. R., 1985, The mind is not in the head, Journal of Structural Biology 8: 303-311.
Maturana H. R., 1990, Ontology of observing. The biological foundations of self consciousness and the physical domain of existence, [in:] N. Luhmann (ed.), Beobacheter: Konvergeng der Erkenntnistheorien? Wilhem Fink Verlag, München.
Maturana H. R. & Mpodozis J., 2000, The origin of species by means of natural drift, Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 73.
Maturana H. R., Mpodozis J. & Letelier J. C., 1995, Brain, language and the origin of human mental functions, Biological Research 28: 15-26. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8728817
Maturana H. R., Uribe G. & Frenk S., 1968, A biological theory of relativistic colour coding in the primate retina, Archiva de Biologia y Medicina Experimentales, Suplemento 1: 1-30.
Maturana H. R. & Varela F. J., 1987, The Tree of Knowledge: The Biological Roots of Human Understanding, Shambhala, Boston.
McMullin B. & Varela F. J., 1997, Rediscovering computational autopoiesis. [in:] P. Husbands & J. Harvey (eds.), Proceedings of the fourth European conference on artificial life, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
Mingers J., 1989, An introduction to autopoiesis - implications and applications, Systemic Practice and Action Research 2: 159-180.
Mingers J., 1990, The philosophical implications of Maturana’s cognitive theories, Systemic Practice and Action Research 3: 569-584.
Mingers J., 1995, Self-Producing Systems - Implications and Applications of Autopoiesis, Plenum Press, New York.
Oyama S., 2000, Evolution's eye: a systems view of the biology- culture divide, Duke University Press, Durham NC.
Rozzi R., Hargrove R., Armestro J. J., Picket S. & Silander Jr. S., 1998, “Natural drift” as a post-modern evolutionary metaphor, Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 71: 5-17.
Varela F. J., 1979, Principles of Biological Autonomy, Elsevier/ North-Holland, New York.
Varela F. J., 1989, Reflections on the circulation of concepts between a biology of cognition and systemic family therapy, Family Procedure 28: 15-24.
Varela F. J., 1997, Patterns of life: intertwining identity and cognition, Brain & Cognition, 34(1): 72-87. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/brcg.1997.0907
Varela F. J. & Bourgine P. (eds.), 1991, Toward a practice of autonomous systems, Proceedings of the First European Conference on Artificial Life, The MIT Press Cambridge, MA.
Varela F. J. & Coutinho A., 1991, Second generation immune networks, Immunology Today, 12: 159-166. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1878127
Varela F. J. & Maturana H. R., 1980, Autopoiesis and Cognition: The Realization of the Living, D. Reidel Publishing, Dordrecht: Holland/Boston USA.
Varela F. J., Maturana, H. R. & Uribe R., 1974, Autopoiesis: The organization of living systems, its characterization and a model, Biosystems 5: 187-196. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0303-2647(74)90031-8
Zeleny M., 1997, Self-Organization of Living Systems: A Formal Model of Autopoiesis, International Journal of General Systems 4: 13-28.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Stats
Number of views and downloads: 1127
Number of citations: 0
