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 self-
production; 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 1st-
order 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/higher-
order 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