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Autopoiesis, Adaptivity, Teleology, Agency
Di Paolo (2005) Autopoiesis, Adaptivity, Teleology, Agency
Abstract
- A proposal for the biological grounding of intrinsic teleology and sense-making through the theory of autopoiesis is critically evaluated. Autopoiesis provides a systemic language for speaking about intrinsic teleology but its original formulation needs to be elaborated further in order to explain sense-making. This is done by introducing adaptivity, a many-layered property that allows organisms to regulate themselves with respect to their conditions of viability. Adaptivity leads to more articulated concepts of behaviour, agency, sense-construction, health, and temporality than those given so far by autopoiesis and enaction. These and other implications for understanding the organismic generation of values are explored.
- Concepts Adaptation, Agency, Autopoiesis, Complex systems, Decentralized Self, Decentralized thinking, Systems thinking
- Relevant learning goals Conceptual Thinking, Critical Thinking, Systems Thinking
- Relevant subject areas Autopoiesis, Biology, Philosophy
- Relevant research methods Conceptual clarification, Knowledge synthesis, Scientific clarification
- Relevant projects Annotated Reading List, Decentralized Self, Understanding Agency
- Relevant school improvement goals Conceptual understanding
