Autopoiesis and Cognition: The Realization of the Living
| Authors | Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela |
|---|---|
| Original title | De Maquinas y Seres Vivos (English: 'On Machines and Living Beings') |
| Language | Spanish (original), English (translated) |
| Series | Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science (Volume 42) |
| Subject | Cybernetics, systems theory, philosophy of biology |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | - Editorial Universitaria S.A. (1972)
- D. Reidel Publishing Company (1980)- Springer (1991) |
Publication date | - 1972 (Chile)
- 1980 (Holland)- 1991 (Springer) |
| Publication place | Chile |
Autopoiesis and Cognition: The Realization of the Living is a cybernetic work in systems theory and the philosophy of biology by Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela. It was first published under the title De Maquinas y Seres Vivos (English: 'On Machines and Living Beings') in 1972 in Chile by Editorial Universitaria S.A., with a second edition published in 1980 by the D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland, and a third edition published in 1991 by Springer. This work defines and explores the concept of autopoiesis, or 'self-creation' in biological systems in an effort to address cognition and autonomy in living systems. Autopoiesis was a core text for the field of second-order cybernetics, which often dealt with themes of self-reference and feedback loops. The book is the 42nd volume in the series Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science.