Autopoiesis Theory

Andrea Wiggins CSCS 501

Autopoietic Systems
Definition of living systems from Maturana & Varela Autopoietic systems are constantly self-producing
Autonomous & self-referential Must produce own boundary within which it generates its own components through structural and organizational coupling

Structural Coupling
Autopoietic systems are structurally defined, organizationally identified Systems structure determines its organization & effects of perturbation on organization Inextricably coupled to environment, structure reacts to environment through compensation or adaptation

Organizational Closure
Organizational closure does not imply independence from environment or other systems But all activity must maintain autopoiesis or else the system will disintegrate:
All processes are processes of selfproduction; the system's activity closes in on itself. (Mingers)

Boundaries
Necessary for organizational closure, separating in from out Necessary for autonomy, defines system as separate from other systems Must be a product of self-production, generated & maintained by the system Restatements from Maturana & Varela: semi-permeability

Boundary Conditions
Not quite the same thing as a physical boundary, but consider skin, with its topologically exterior digestive tract This interpretation allows the boundary to function as a regulatory mechanism in structurally-coupled interactions Fuzzy boundaries are more broadly applicable and better resemble cellular boundaries

Higher-Order Systems
Like Hollands multiagent aggregates, but more strictly defined Initially, 1st-order AS comprised of 1storder AS: 2nd-order AS M & V recant (together): metacellulars are aggregates of 1st-orders
are second-order autopoietic systems also first-order autopoietic systems? Organization seems key

Autopoiesis Applied
Besides biology:
Neural systems: more of a special case Cognition, including Game of Life Social Autopoiesis Theory (Luhmann)
Configuration/Steering Theory Public administration, policy science Law, family therapy

Literary Autopoetics
You know you have found an autopoetic system when you find together more autonomy and more dependence, more closure and more openness.

Metacellulars
Emergence of metacellulars/higherorder AS is underexplained Enaction as coemergence of AS with structural couplings to environment
Idea is problematic in view of the role of structural couplings in adaptation

No real discussion of how this happens

Higher-Order Emergence
If a 2nd-order AS is a 1st-order AS composed of 1st-order ASs, then
Autopoietic systems develop components that are autopoietic, or Multiple interacting autopoietic systems become an autopoietic system (or?) Why else would this happen except as adaptation, which only happens in reaction to environmental perturbation?

Chicken-or-egg conundrum

Conclusions
Subtlety of conceptual underpinnings Definitions are not settled Problematic in application to other theoretical areas Adopting boundary conditions concept helps, as does loosened definitions Coemergence is a convenient explanation that requires more scrutiny