Dr. Randall Whitaker

  BIBLIOGRAPHY
Autopoiesis and Enaction

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KEYWORDS:

• autopoiesis
  
• autopoietic theory
  
• biology of cognition
  
• cognition
  
• constructivism
  
• cybernetics
  
• enaction
  
• enactive cognitive science
  
• enactivism
  
• epistemology
  
• Maturana (Humberto R.)
  
• phenomenology
  
• radical constructivism
  
• Santiago school
  
• Santiago theory
  
• second-order cybernetics
  
• self-organization
  
• self-organizing systems
  
• systems theory
  
• Varela (Francisco J.).

Many thanks to Barry McMullin, John Mingers, Cristina Magro, Peter Hejl, and all the others who have provided citations over the years.

ANDERTON, R. H.
Whither cybernetics: Past achievements and future prospects, Kybernetes, Vol. 9 (1980), pp. 289-293.

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ANDRESEN, Julie Tetel
On genetic encoding and communication.Language & Communication - an interdisciplinary journal, vol. 11, number 1/2, (1991), pp.29-32.

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ANDREW, Alex M.
Autopoiesis and self-organization, Journal of Cybernetics, Vol. 9, no. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1979), pp. 359-367.

Apparently the same text as Andrew article of the same title (1980). Claims that autopoiesis alone cannot suffice for studying self-organizing systems (SOS). Andrew states there are 2 additional features of SOS which much be accounted for: (1) the progressively succinct representations applied as 'meta- representations', and (2) the replication of existing 'successful' structural features. Note that both entail some measure of teleology / purpose ascription and are therefore to be considered only from the perspective of a given observer.

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ANDREW, Alex M.
Autopoiesis and self-organization, Progress in Cybernetics and Systems Research, Vol. 7, Washington DC / London: Hemisphere, 1980, pp. 281-284.

Apparently the same text as Andrew's 1979 article with the same title.

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ANDREW, Alex M.
Autopoiesis-allopoiesis interplay, in Zeleny (1981: cited herein).

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ANDREW, Alex M.
Feedback versus autonomy, Progress in Cybernetics and Systems Research, Vol. 9, Washington DC/London: Hemisphere, 1982, pp. 301-304.

Review of value of autopoiesis for the study of self-organizing systems.

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ANDREW, Alex M.
Self-Organizing Systems, New York: Gordon and Breach, 1989.

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AUTOPOIESIS AND PERCEPTION: A Workshop with ESPRIT BRA 3352
Barry McMullin and Noel Murphy, editors
Print proceedings distributed during the workshop, Dublin: Dublin City University, August 25-26, 1992.

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AUTOPOIESIS AND PERCEPTION: A Workshop with ESPRIT BRA 3352 (ADDENDUM).
Barry McMullin and Noel Murphy, editors
Addendum to the print proceedings distributed during the workshop, Dublin: Dublin City University, September, 1992.

NOTE: The materials from these two parts of the conference proceedings are available online from Dublin City University at:

http://www.eeng.dcu.ie/~alife/bmcm9401/

Each of the offerings in this directory represents a portion of the Proceedings. The offerings are available in two forms: (1) Adobe Acrobat Reader (*.pdf) and (2) zipped PostScript files (*.ps.Z). The current format arrangement represents Barry's update / upgrade of these online materials in response to feedback. Thanks, Barry!

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Table of Contents

[PDF] [Zipped Postscript]

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Abstracts

[ASCII text file]

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Preface by Barry McMullin

[PDF] [Zipped Postscript]

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Varela, Francisco

Autopoiesis and a Biology of Intentionality

[PDF] [Zipped PostScript]

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Murphy, Noel

The causal and symbolic explanatory duality as a framework for understanding vision

[PDF] [Zipped PostScript]

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Vernon, D., and D. Furlong

Relativistic ontologies, self-organization, autopoiesis, and artificial life: A progression in the science of the autonomous

Part I. The philosophical foundations

[PDF] [Zipped PostScript]

Part II. A scientific development

[PDF] [Zipped PostScript]

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Moreno, A., Merelo, J. J., and A. Etxeberria

Perception, adaptation and learning

[PDF] [Zipped PostScript]

McMullin, Barry

Artificial Darwinism: The very idea!

[PDF] [Zipped PostScript]

Furlong, D., and D. Vernon

Reality paradigms, perception, and natural science: The relevance of autopoiesis

[PDF] [Zipped PostScript]

Riegler, Alex

Constructivist artificial life, and beyond

[PDF] [Zipped PostScript]

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Doherty, Conor

Reconstructing AI

[PDF] [Zipped PostScript]

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References

[PDF] [Zipped PostScript]

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NOTE: This online material carries a 1994 copyright.

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AYALA, Francisco J.
Teleological explanations in evolutionary biology, Philosophy of Science, March 1970, pp. 1-15.

A critical discussion of the reappearance of Aristotelian concepts of purpose in the context of evolution and biological systems. Ayala differentiates between causal and teleological explanations, and insinuates that the distinction is one of observational perspective and contextual consistency. He claims that for 3 categories of biological phenomena teleological explanations are appropriate: (1) where the end-state is consciously anticipated by the agent (i.e., purposeful activity); (2) self-regulation with regard to one or more key variables; (3) '(I)n reference to structures anatomically and physiologically designed to perform a certain function.' (p. 9)

BAERT, Patrick, and Jan DE SCHAMPHELEIRE
Autopoiesis, self-organisation and symbolic interactionism: some convergences, Kybernetes, Vol. 17, no. 1 (1988), pp. 60-69.

A comparative analysis of autopoietic social theory and the 'symbolic interactionism' of Mead / Blumer (sociology). Points of comparision include: environment / external determinants of behavior; social/self-consciousness; objectivity / subjectivity in perspectives (epistemology); openness/ democracy; novelty / emergence in human conduct.

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BATESON, Gregory
A Sacred Unity: Further steps to an Ecology of Mind, A Cornelia and Michael Bessie Book, New York: Harper Collins, 1991.

If there is any thinker who comes to mind when considering Maturana and Varela's epistemological notions, it is Bateson. There are strong parallels between his work and the phenomenological aspects of autopoietic theory. However, it is only in this final (posthumously-published) book that Bateson ever indicates knowing of Maturana and Varela's work (a mere passing note on the subject of 'recursiveness', p. 220). Beyond this trivial explicit link, there is a great deal in this book which resonates with autopoietic theory.

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BECKER, Alton
A short essay on languaging, in F. Steier (ed.), Research and Reflexivity, Beverly Hills CA: Sage, 1991, pp. 226-234.

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BECKER, Alton
Language and languaging. Language & Communication - an interdisciplinary journal, vol. 11, number 1/2, (1991), pp.33-36.

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BECKER, Alton
Language in Particular: A Lecture. In: Beyond Translation. Essays toward a Modern Philology. Ann Arbor, The University of Michigan Press, 1995, pp.405-426.

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BEDNARZ, John (Jr.)
Autopoiesis: The organizational closure of social systems, Systems Research, Vol. 5 (1988), no. 1, pp. 57-64.

Introduces and supports N. Luhmann's view of social systems as autopoietic unities. (Cf. Luhmann citations below).

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BEER, Stafford
Preface to: Autopoiesis: The organization of the living (the second paper constituting Autopoiesis and Cognition (Maturana and Varela, 1980), pp. 63-72.

Beer's preface has been posted (with permission of the publisher) on WWW by John Hicks (Centre for Cognitive Science, University of Edinburgh) Thanks, John!

The URL is: http://www.cogsci.ed.ac.uk/~jwjhix/Beer.html

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BEN-ELI, Michael U.
Self-organization, autopoiesis, and evolution, in Zeleny (1981: cited herein).

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BENSELER, Frank, Peter M. HEJL, and Wolfram K. KÖCK (eds.)
Autopoiesis, Communication, and Society: The Theory of Autopoietic Systems in the Social Sciences, Frankfurt: Campus Verlag, 1980.

This is a collection of papers given at a in April 1979 on the theme of 'The Theory of Autopoietic Systems as a New Foundation for the Social Sciences'. This is a good collection and a key reference work.

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BERMAN, Morris
The roots of reality: Maturana and Varela's The Tree of Knowledge, Journal of Humanistic Psychology, Vol. 29, no. 2 (Spring 1989), pp. 277-284.

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BILSON, Andrew
Facts, figures and fantasy: A constructivist approach to professional training in the use of client information systems, in Kolleck, B., and Rafferty, J. (eds.), Both Sides: Technology and Human Services, Berlin: Alice-Saloman-Fachhoschule, 1995.

Article based on autopoietic theory with a more practical than theoretical thrust. Gives example of how constructivist view (with reference to Maturana) can be used to teach Information technology. Available online at:

http://www.soton.ac.uk/~chst/both/bilson.htm

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BILSON, Andrew
"Cijfers, Feiten en Fantasie", Interactief: Nieuwsbulletin over sociale informatiekunde in het HSAO, no. 10, pp. 5 - 11.

This is a Dutch version of the 1995 article cited above.

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BILSON, Andrew
Bringing Forth Organisational Realities: A Constructivist Approach to the Management of Change in Human Services, Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Applied Social Studies, Lancaster University, 1996.

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BILSON, Andrew
Guidelines for a constructivist approach: Steps towards the adaptation of ideas from family therapy for use in organizations, Systems Practice, Vol.10 (1997), no.2, pp. 153-178.

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BILSON, Andrew
Social Work Management and Practice: Systems Principles (Second Edition), London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 1999.

Second edition of earlier 1989 book more focussed on Bateson but with some reference to Maturana.

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BIRCH, Jim
Re-inventing the already punctured wheel: Reflections on a seminar with Humberto Maturana, Journal of Family Therapy, Vol. 13, no. 4 (November 1991), pp. 349-373.

Criticizes Maturana as being either unoriginal or flawed, then criticizes family therapists' application of Maturana's ideas.

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BLANKENBURG, Erhard
The poverty of evolutionism: a critique of Teubner's case for 'reflexive law', (cf. Teubner's rejoinder in the same issue), Law & Society Review, Vol. 18 (1984), no. 2, pp. 273-289.

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BODEN, Margaret
Autopoiesis and life, Cognitive Science Quarterly, (2000) 1, pp. 117-145.

Abstract:

Life is defined by Maturana and Varela as a type of self-organization: autopoiesis in the physical space. This resembles the concept of metabolism, which itself is typically included in definitions of life. Three senses of metabolism are distinguished. If life depends on either auto-poiesis or metabolism (in the third sense), then strong A-Life is impossible. The theory of autopoiesis challenges concepts familiar in biology and cognitive science. While its use of informational language is too restrictive, its use of cognitive language is too liberal: life does not imply cognition.

Available in PDF (Adobe Acrobat) format at:

http://www.iig.uni-freiburg.de/cognition/csq/pdf-files/boden.pdf

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BØGH ANDERSEN, Peter
The semiotics of autopoiesis. A catastrophetheoretic approach, Cybernetics & Human Knowing, Vol. 2 (1994), no. 4.

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BOXER, Philip, and Vincent Kenny
The economy of discourses: a third order cybernetics?, Human Systems Management, Volume 9 (1990) Number 4, pp. 205-224.

An argument for a 'third order cybernetics', based in part on a critical analysis of second-order cybernetics generally and Maturana's ontology of the observer in particular. Available via WWW at:

http://www.oikos.org/discourses.htm

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BRAMAN, S.
The autopoietic State: Communication and democratic potential in the net, Journal of the American Society for Information Science, Vol. 45 (1994), no. 6, pp. 358-368.

Braman invokes autopoiesis in calling for the development of 'second-order' (self-reflexive) systems theory to explain how human action can increase 'democratic forces' in social systems disrupted by powerful transnational corporations (TNCs) and new communication networks.

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BRÅTEN, Stein
The third position -- beyond artificial and autopoietic reduction, Kybernetes, Vol. 13 (1984), pp. 157-163.

A discussion of social systems. Unfortunately, Bråten severely misuses the theory, applying it only with strict regard to 'organizational closure' of social systems. His usage is therefore biased, and self-serving.

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BRÅTEN, Stein
Artifacts of mind, in Myklebust, J. P., and R. Ommundsen (eds.) Psykologprofesjonen mot aar 2000, Bergen: Universitetsforlaget, 1987, pp. 543-557.

This is a broad, general discussion of IT (info. tech.) issues. Bråten identifies 2 distinct camps: AI/cognitivism and the phenomenological. He sees them as immiscible, and he discusses the prospects for accounting for both in IT design.

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BRIER, Søren
Information and consciousness: A critique of the mechanistic concept of information, Cybernetics and Human Knowing, Vol.1 (1992), no. 2/3 pp. 71-94.

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BRIER, Søren
A cybernetic and semiotic view on a galilean theory of psychology, Cybernetics and Human Knowing, Vol. 2, no. 2, 1992.

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BROWN, George Spencer
Laws of Form, Portland OR: Cognizer Press, 1994.

This provocative book outlines a 'calculus of indications' based upon a fundamental operation of distinction. In his 1979 Principles of Biological Autonomy, Varela intensively analyzes and builds upon Spencer Brown's calculus as a tool for addressing distinctions as fundamental cognitive acts. Originally published in 1969, this hard-to-find volume was reprinted in 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977, and 1979. Different prefaces constituted some editions' primary addition to the previous one(s). The 1994 edition includes the Prefaces for the 1969, 1972, and 1979 editions.

You can pursue access to this book now through the Observer Web Book Shop

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BURGHGRAEVE, P.
Mechanistic explanations and structure-determined systems. Maturana and the human sciences, in G. van de Vijver (ed.), New Perspectives On Cybernetics. Self-Organization, Autonomy, Connectionism, Dordrecht: Kluwer (Synthese Libary), 1992.

CAMPBELL, D., and R. DRAPER (eds.)
Applications of Systemic Family Therapy: The Milan Method, New York: Grune and Stratton, 1985.

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CAPRA, Fritjof
The Web of Life : A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems , New York: Anchor Books, 1996.

Capra, well-known author of prior provocative books on science (e.g., The Turning Point), now turns his sights on life and living systems. This book offers his synthesis of the concepts delineating an emerging perspective on living systems and, by extension, self-organizing systems in general. Capra reviews the last three decades' most significant theoretical innovations (e.g., dissipative structures, complexity studies) on the way to a summary overview which prominently highlights Maturana and Varela's work.

Capra's estimation of Maturana and Varela's contributions is best presented in his own words (excerpted from a talk in late 1996):

"The Santiago theory of cognition, I believe, is the first scientific theory that overcomes the Cartesian division of mind and matter, and will thus have the most far-reaching implications. Mind and matter no longer appear to belong to two separate categories, but can be seen as representing two complementary aspects of the phenomenon of life - the process aspect and the structure aspect. At all levels of life, beginning with the simplest cell, mind and matter, process and structure, are inseparably connected. Mind is immanent in living matter as the process of self-organization. For the first time, we have a scientific theory that unifies mind, matter and life."

By his own admission, Capra intends this book to be an update to Erich Jantsch's Self-Organizing Universe -- a classic book on self-organization written before autopoietic theory had been fully formed. In addition to providing summary introductions to some of autopoietic theory's main tenets, this book contextualizes Maturana and Varela's work with respect to other streams of more popularly known work. This contextualization may be the most important contribution of this book to those already familiar with autopoietic theory. The repeated emphasis on Maturana and Varela could well make this book the catalyst to a (long-overdue) proliferation of interest in autopoiesis.

You can pursue access to this book now through the Observer Web Book Shop

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CASTORIADIS, Cornelius
The imaginary: Creation in the social-historical domain, in Livingston, Paisley (ed.), Disorder and Order: Proceedings of the Stanford International Symposium (Sept. 14-16, 1981), Saratoga CA: ANMA Libri, 1984, pp. 146-161.

This discussion proceeds from the foundation of society being background to the individual (seen as a social actor). This makes Castoriadis an exponent of the Luhmannian view, wherein the system is primary and the individual must fit. He makes reference to Varela's autonomy as an exemplar of how such social systems are realized.

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CHIARI, Gabriele, and M. Laura Nuzzo
Constructs and Trinities: Kelly and Varela on Complementarity and Knowledge, Paper presented at the Seventh International Congress on Personal Construct Psychology, Memphis, TN, August 5th-9th, 1987.

"The paper is aimed at showing similarities and differences between the views of complementarity in relation to the creation and structure of cognitive systems held by George A. Kelly and Francisco J. Varela, both of them sharing a constructivist metatheory. Though operating in different times and in different fields (psychology and biology), their notions of construct and trinity, respectively, represent a similar departure from classical logic and dialectics, and lead to similar implications as to the problem of knowledge and the hierarchical structure of cognitive systems. Even if, because of their different views on the dependence/independence of reality from the observer's act of construing, Kelly's constructivism can be considered as trivial and Varela's constructivism as radical, the triviality of the former is questioned."

Available at:

http://www.aippc.it/articles/aippc1.html

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COLAPINTO, Jorge
Maturana and the ideology of conformity, Family Therapy Networker, Vol. 9, no. 3 (May/June 1985), pp. 29-30.

Criticizes Maturana and Varela's (1980) proposition that the passion to change others is both ethically wrong and impossible, and concludes the passion to change others is intrinsically constitutive of the therapist.

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CÓRDOBA, J. R., and G. Midgley
Rethinking stakeholder involvement: An application of the theory of autopoiesis and boundary critique to information systems planning, Chapter 13. In S. Clarke, and B. Lehaney (eds.), Human Centered Methods in Information Systems: Current Research and Practice, Hershey, USA: Idea Group, 2000, pp. 194-237.

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COTTONE, R. Rocco
The third epistemology: Extending Maturana's structure determinism, American Journal of Family Therapy, Vol. 17, no. 2 (Summer 1989), pp. 99-109.

Cottone critically analyzes autopoietic theory with respect to the social and behavioral sciences, suggesting a major contradiction induced through the idea of structure determinism prevents a consistent epistemology and ontology. Cottone tries to outline a '3rd epistemology' based on change.

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COUTINHO A, L. FORNI, D. HOLMBERG, F. IVARS and N. M.VAZ
From an antigen-centered, clonal perspective of immune responses to an organism-centered, network perspective of autonomous activity in a self-referencial immune system. Immunological Reviews , Vol. 79 (1984), pp. 151-168.

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CYBERNETICS AND HUMAN KNOWING (journal)
General information about the journal is available via WWW at:

http://www.imprint-academic.demon.co.uk/C&HK/cyber.htm

The journal Cybernetics and Human Knowing has a WWW site at which you can access abstracts and even the full text for some articles invoking or analyzing the work of Maturana and Varela as it relates to (e.g.) human communication and semiotics.

DALENOORT, G. J. (ed.)
The Paradigm of Self Organization : Current Trends in Self-Organization (Studies in Cybernetics, Vol 19), New York: Gordon and Breach, 1989.

This volume of essays is not specifically focused on autopoietic theory per se. However, many of the contributors invoke Maturana and Varela's work in addressing the more general notion of self-organization and its relevance to a variety of fields.

You can pursue access to this book now through the Observer Web Book Shop

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DE SOLLA PRICE, Derek J.
Automata and the origins of mechanism and mechanistic philosophy, Technology and Culture, Vol. 5 (1966), pp. 9-23.

The delineation of autopoiesis begins with the characterization of living systems as machines. This should not be confused with an idea that living systems are strictly decomposable as mechanical entities -- only that they are describable in terms of their own structures and activities (without reference to extra factors). They term this outlook 'mechanicism'. de Solla Price's paper is an overview of mechanistic perspectives in biology.

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DEFFUANT, G., FUHS, T., MONNERET, E., NOURGINE, P., and F. VARELA
Semi--Algebraic Networks: An Attempt to Design Gemometric Autopoietic Models. Artificial Life, Vol. 2(1995), no. 2, pp.157-177.

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DEGGAU, Hans-Georg
The communicative autonomy of the legal system, in Teubner (1988: cited herein), pp. 128-151.

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DELL, Paul F.
Family theory and the epistemology of Humberto Maturana, Chapter 3 in Kaslow, Florence W. (ed.), The International Book of Family Therapy, New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1982, pp. 56-66.

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DELL, Paul F.
Beyond homeostasis: Toward a concept of coherence, Family Process, Vol. 21 (1982), pp. 21-41.

A discussion of the limitations of homeostasis as a systems-theoretic concept, including a retrospective look at Bateson, Maturana, and the impacts they have had on Dell. He says in conclusion that his 'coherence' is very similar to Maturana's concept of structure determination for systems.

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DELL, Paul F.
In search of truth: On the way to clinical epistemology, Family Process, Vol. 21 (1982), pp. 407-414.

This paper was incorrectly cited in Simon (1985). A review of Dell's path into (among other things) autopoietic theory as an inspiration to his view of therapy.

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DELL, Paul F.
Understanding Bateson and Maturana: Toward a biological foundation for the social sciences, Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, Vol. 11, no. 1 (January 1985), pp. 1-20.

Dell compares work of Gregory Bateson and Maturana, concluding they are compatible, although there are several points of contrast. Dell claims the essential message of both is that social systems and all human activities must be understood in the light of our being biological entities coupled to a medium. Dell suggests the biological ontology in both writers' work may provide a sound foundation for social / behavioral sciences.

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DELL, Paul F.
Why do we still call them ''paradoxes''?, Family Process, Vol. 25, no. 2 (June 1986), pp. 223-234.

Maturana's views on structural determinism, instructive interaction, and phenomenal domains are applied to illustrate that many problematical theoretical concepts (e.g., communication, information, resistance, homeostasis, pathology) reveal the experiential validity of instructive interaction repeatedly leads humans into employing instructive interaction in a domain where it can never be valid: that of theory and explanation.

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DELL, Paul F.
Maturana's constitutive ontology of the observer, Psychotherapy, Vol 24, no. 3S (Fall 1987), pp. 462-466.

This is a response to criticism of Dell's previous article concerning structural determinism. According to Dell, Maturana makes no metaphysical claims about some hypothetically independent reality. Instead, Maturana explains the observer's constitutive ontology. Dell, following Maturana, asserts the cognitive domain of human observers is structure determined, and that humans can therefore only distinguish a structure-determined world.

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DELL, Paul F., and Harold A. GOOLISHIAN
Order through fluctuation: An evolutionary epistemology for human systems, Australian Journal of Family Therapy, Vol. 2 (1981), no. 4, pp. 175-184.

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DENNETT, Daniel C.
Review of The Embodied Mind, American Journal of Psychology, Spring 1993, Vol. 106, No. 1, pp. 121-126.

Available via WWW at:

http://www.tufts.edu/as/cogstud/papers/varela.htm

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DIAS, R. W. M.
Autopoiesis and the judicial process, Rechtstheorie, Vol. 11 (1980), pp. 257-282.[Berlin: Duncker & Humblot]

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DOHERTY, Conor
Reconstructing AI, in Autopoiesis and Perception [cf. citation herein], Dublin: Dublin City University, 1992.

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DUPUY, Jean-Pierre
Shaking the invisible hand, in Livingston, Paisley (ed.), Disorder and Order: Proceedings of the Stanford International Symposium (Sept. 14-16, 1981), Saratoga CA: ANMA Libri, 1984, pp. 129- 145.

This is a discussion of the effect which Adam Smith's 'invisible hand' had on the history of ideas, in terms of economics and in politics as well. Dupuy's presentation goes on to discuss Rousseau's attempts to put the law above the individuals, so as to disengage it from their ability to manipulate. Dupuy thereby draws remarkably close to the view of Luhmann -- that a social system (seen in a moral / political perspective) should be an autonomous entity. Well-written and provocative.

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DUPUY, Jean Pierre
On the supposed closure of normative systems, in Teubner (1988: cited herein), pp. 51-69.

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DUPUY, Jean Pierre, and Francisco VARELA
Understanding origins: an introduction, in: Understanding Origins: Contemporary Views on the Origin of Life, Mind and Society, (J. Dupuy and F. Varela eds.), Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic,1992.

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DURKIN, James E. (ed.)
Living Groups: Group Psychotherapy and General Systems Theory, New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1981.

This collection contains numerous references to autopoiesis as a basic framework for living systems and, hence, a background construct of relevance to group therapy.

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DURKIN, James E.
Foundations of Autonomous Living Structure, in DURKIN, J. (ed.), Living Groups: Group Psychotherapy and General Systems Theory, New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1981, pp. 24-59.

This article explores the notion of 'autonomy' with respect to living systems. It must be pointed out that references to Varela do not include Principles of Biological Autonomy (1979). This, plus Durkin's usage, means that no correspondence should be drawn between Durkin's and Varela's usage of the term 'autonomy'.

EFRAN, Jay, and Michael D. LUKENS
The world according to Humberto Maturana, Family Therapy Networker, Vol. 9, no. 3 (May/June 1985), pp. 23-28 / 72-75.

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EFRAN, Jay S., K.P. HEFFNER, and Robert J. LUKENS
Alcoholism as an opinion: structure determinism applied to problem drinking, Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, Vol. 4 (1987), no. 3, pp. 67-85.

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EFRAN, Jay S., Michael D. LUKENS, and Robert J. LUKENS
Language, Structure, and Change: Frameworks of meaning in psychotherapy, New York: Norton, 1990.

This is the only book-length application of M & V's ideas to the area of psychotherapy. The discussion centers on the concepts of 'coupling', 'ontological drift', and context / individual-specificity of meaningfulness. Reviewed in issue 11 of The Observer.

You can pursue access to this book now through the Observer Web Book Shop

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EMMECHE, Claus
Closure, function, emergence, semiosis and life: The same idea? Reflections on the concrete and the abstract in theoretical biology. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 901 (2000), pp. 187-197.

Abstract:

"In this note some epistemological problems in general theories about living systems are considered; in particular, the question of hidden connections between different areas of experience, such as folk biology and scientific biology, and hidden connections between central concepts of theoretical biology, such as function, semiosis, closure and life."

Available via WWW at:

http://www.nbi.dk/~emmeche/cePubl/2000a.Closure.html

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EMMECHE, Claus
The Computational Notion of Life, Theoria - Segunda Epoca, Vol. 9 (1994), no. (21), pp. 1-30.

This paper discusses metaphorical notions of living organisms as information processing systems, the attempts to model such systems, life as a computational phenomenon, and semiotics. The theory of autopoietic systems is considered in relation to biosemiotics. Available via WWW at:

http://connect.nbi.dk/~emmeche/cePubl/compnolife.html

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ENACTIVISM RESEARCH GROUP

Suggested readings list, available via WWW at:

http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~dareid/ERGreadlist.html

The Enactivism Research Group is based at the University of Alberta and the Memorial University of Newfoundland. They are promoting 'enactivism' -- based largely on enactive cognitive science (cf. Varela, Thompson & Rosch, 1991) -- in the field of education. NOTE: According to the sketchy information they provide, this group distinguishes their 'enactivism' to some unspecified extent from Varela's positions and from 'constructivism' generally. Owing to this, it is uncertain to what extent their approach intersects von Glaserfeld's application of 'radical constructivism' to mathematics education. The main WWW page for the research group is available via WWW at:

http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~dareid/ERG.html

FAUCHEAX, Claude, and Spyros MAKRIDAKIS
Automation or autonomy in organizational design, International Journal of General Systems, Vol. 5 (1979), pp. 213-220.

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FELL, Lloyd, and David RUSSELL
Towards a biological explanation of human understanding, Cybernetics & Human Knowing, Vol. 2 (1994), no. 4.

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FELL, Lloyd, RUSSELL, David, and Alan STEWART (eds.)
Seized by Agreement, Swamped by Understanding, Sydney: Hawkesbury Printing - University of Western Sydney, 1994. ISBN number = ISBN 0 646 20084 4.

"A collection of papers to celebrate the visit to Australia in August 1994 by Humberto Maturana."

The print version of this book is unfortunately out of print. However, the contents of this book can now (as of January 1998) be accessed via WWW at:

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Alex Riegler's Radical Constructivism Site (Austria):

http://www.univie.ac.at/constructivism/books/seized/index.html

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The Autopoiesis Plus... Site (Australia):

http://www.pnc.com.au/~lfell/book.html

NOTE: The HTML transcription of this book was done by Alex Riegler of Austria. Good job, Alex !

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Table of Contents [With 'hot links' to the articles at the Australian site:]

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Fell, Lloyd, David Russell and Alan Stewart

Prologue

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Fell, Lloyd, and David Russell

Biology's Room With a View

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Fell, Lloyd, and David Russell

An Introduction to "Maturana's" Biology

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Fell, Lloyd, and David Russell

Living Systems - Autonomous Unities

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Stewart, Alan

Constructivism and Collaborative Enterprises

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Murray, Joy

Maturana's Biology and Some Possible Implications for Education

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Fell, Lloyd, and David Russell

Non-Traditional R & D

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Stewart, Alan

Cybernetic Conversation

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Russell, David

Social Ecology - Education and Research

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Graham, John

Some Reflections Upon Creative Thinking in the Nineties

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Russell, David

Greenhouse Climate Change and Social Change

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Dimitrov, Vladimir, and David Russell

The Fuzziness of Communication

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Dimitrov, Vladimir, and Judith Bihl Dimitrov

Fuzzy Logic: A Key to Shared Wisdom

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Fell, Lloyd

Stress, Epistemology and Feedlot Cattle

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Russell, David, Vladimir Dimitrov and Lloyd Fell

Ancient Wisdom and Contemporary Ecological Problems

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Fell, Lloyd, and David Russell

The Dance of Understanding

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FISCHER, H. R. (ed.)
Autopoiesis : eine Theorie im Brennpunkt der Kritik, Heidelberg: C. Auer, 1991. ISBN: 3-927809-07-1 (in German)

ALSO:

Autopoiesis. Eine Theorie im Brennpunkt der Kritik, Frankfurt: Suhrkamp Verlag, 1991. (in German)

NOTE: The Heidelberg / C. Auer entry is the one most commonly listed for Fischer's collection. The Frankfurt / Suhrkamp entry is one I've found only once. Perhaps there were 2 editions published (?) -- I don't know.

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FLEISCHAKER, Gail Raney
Autopoiesis: System, Logic and Origins of Life, Boston: Boston University Professors Program, 1988.

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FLEISCHAKER, Gail Raney
Autopoiesis: The status of its system logic, BioSystems, Vol. 22 (1988), pp. 37-49.

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FLEISCHAKER, Gail Raney
Origins of Life: An operational definition, Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere, Vol. 20 (1990), pp. 127- 137.

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FLEISCHAKER, Gail Raney
The myth of the putative 'organism', Uroboros Vol.1, No.2 (1991), pp.23-43.

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FLEISCHAKER, Gail Raney (Guest Editor)
Autopoiesis in Systems Analysis: A Debate, A special forum issue of International Journal of General Systems, Vol. 21, No.2 (1992).

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FLEISCHAKER, Gail Raney
Questions concerning the ontology of autopoiesis and the limits of its utility, Guest editor's introduction, International Journal of General Systems, Vol. 21, No.2 (1992), pp.131-141.

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FLEISCHAKER, Gail Raney
"Are osmotic or social systems autopoietic?": A reply in the negative. International Journal of General Systems, Vol. 21, No.2 (1992), pp.163-173.

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FLEISCHAKER, Gail Raney
A few precautionary words concerning terminology, in G. R. Fleischaker, S. Colonna, and P-L Luisi (eds.), Self-Reproduction of Supramolecular Structures, NATO ASI Series C, Volume 446, Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers (1994), pp.33-41.

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FLEMONS, Douglas G.
Completing Distinctions: Interweaving the ideas of Gregory Bateson and Taoism into a unique approach to therapy, Boston / London: Shambhala, 1991.

An interesting book in which Flemons heavily invokes Spencer Brown's calculus of indications within a context laced with von Foerster, Varela, Bateson, and Eastern thought.

Heinz von Foerster's pioneering work in second-order cybernetics parallels the biological theorizations of Maturana and Varela. His views on self-organizing and observing systems resonate with the constructivistic epistemology of autopoietic theory and enactive cognitive science. You can learn more about von Foerster and his work via WWW at:

http://www.univie.ac.at/constructivism/HvF.htm

Alex Riegler has assembled a comprehensive bibliography of von Foerster's writings at:

http://www.univie.ac.at/constructivism/HvF/bib.htm

FOERSTER, Heinz von
On constructing a reality, in F. E. Preiser (ed.), Environmental Research Design, Vol. 2, Stroudsburg: Dowden, Hutchinson & Ross, 1973, pp. 35-46.

This is an abbreviated version of a lecture given at the opening of the Fourth International Conference on Environmental Design Research on April 15, 1973, at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Reprinted in von Foerster's book Observing Systems, pp. 288-309.

This paper can now be accessed via WWW. It is included in "Lesson 1: Constructivism and 2nd-Order Cybernetics", among the tutorials provided by Democritus University of Thrace (in Greece). The URL is:

http://platon.ee.duth.gr/~soeist7t/Lessons/lesson2_2.htm

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FOERSTER, Heinz von
Observing Systems, Seaside CA: Intersystems Publications, 1981.

This book brings together von Foerster's writings on second-order cybernetics, the role of the observer in delineating systems, the observer as a systemic entity, and the paradoxes inherent therein. Not a book on autopoiesis per se, but a very informative background text illuminating the general stance or perspective applicable to Maturana and Varela's work.

You can pursue access to this book now through the Observer Web Book Shop

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FOERSTER, Heinz von
On cybernetics of cybernetics and social theory, in Roth & Schwegler (1981), pp. 102-105.

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FOERSTER, Heinz von
Disorder/ order: Discovery or invention, in Livingston, Paisley (ed.), Disorder and Order: Proceedings of the Stanford International Symposium (Sept. 14-16, 1981), Saratoga CA: ANMA Libri, 1984, pp. 177-189.

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FOERSTER, Heinz von
On constructing a reality, in Watzlawick, P. (ed.) (1984), pp. 41-61.

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FOERSTER, Heinz von
Metaphysics of an Experimental Epistemologist A previously unpublished paper, first presented to a congress on Teneriffa in November 1995. Available via WWW at:

http://www.vordenker.de/metaphysics/metaphysics.htm

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FOERSTER, Heinz von, and G. Zopf (eds.)
Principles of Self-Organization, Pergamon, New York, 1962.

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FURLONG, Dermot, and David VERNON
Reality paradigms, perception, and natural science: The relevance of autopoiesis, in Autopoiesis and Perception (Addendum) [cf. citation herein], Dublin: Dublin City University, 1992.

GAINES, Brian R.
Autopoiesis: Some questions, in Zeleny (1981: cited herein).

A healthy but skeptical list of questions concerning the value and strength of autopoietic theory.

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GAINES, Brian R.
The Collective Stance in Modeling Expertise in Individuals and Organizations, University of Calgary Alberta, Knowledge Science Institute, August 1995. Available via WWW at:

http://ksi.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/articles/Collective/

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GEYER, F.
Autopoiesis and social systems -- 1, International Journal of General Systems, Vol. 21 (1992), pp. 175-183.

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GEYER, F., and J. VAN DER ZOUWEN (eds.)
Sociocybernetic Paradoxes -- Observation, Control, and Evolution of Self-Steering Systems, London: SAGE, 1986.

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GEYER, F., and J. VAN DER ZOUWEN (eds.)
Self-Referencing in Social Systems, Salinas CA: Intersystems Publications, 1990.

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GLANVILLE, Ranulph, and Francisco VARELA
Your inside is out and your outside is in, in G.E. Lasker (ed.), Applied Systems and Cybernetics. Vol. II. Proceedings of the International Congress on Applied Systems Research and Cybernetics, New York: Pergamon, 1981.

Ernst von Glasersfeld is a primary proponent of constructivist epistemology, and the formulator of radical constructivism. His epistemological positions parallel in large part Maturana and Varela's 'phenomenology of the living'.

Further information and resources on von Glasersfeld can be accessed via WWW at:

The Ecology of Mind site in Italy

http://www.oikos.org/vonen.htm

Further information on constructivism can be accessed via WWW at:

Alex Riegler's Radical Constructivism site

http://www.univie.ac.at/constructivism/

http://forum.swarthmore.edu/orlando/selden.orlando.html

http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/construc.html

GLASERSFELD, Ernst von
Cybernetics and cognitive development, Cybernetics Forum, Vol. 8 (1976), pp. 115-120.

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GLASERSFELD, Ernst von
Radical constructivism and Piaget's concept of knowledge, in F. B. Murray (ed.), The Impact of Piagetian Theory, Baltimore: University Park Press, 1978, pp. 109-122.

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GLASERSFELD, Ernst von
Cybernetics, experience, and the concept of self, in M. N. Ozer (ed.), A Cybernetic Approach to the Assessment of Children: Toward a More Humane Use of Human Beings, Boulder CO: Westview Press, 1979, pp. 67-113.

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GLASERSFELD, Ernst von
The concept of equilibration in a constructivist theory of knowledge, in Benseler, Hejl, and Köck (1980), pp. 75-86.

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GLASERSFELD, Ernst von
An epistemology for cognitive systems, in Roth and Schwegler (1981), pp. 121-131.

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GLASERSFELD, Ernst von
Feedback, induction, and epistemology, in G. E. Lasker (ed.), Applied Systems and Cybernetics, Vol. 2, New York: Pergamon Press, 1981, pp. 712-719.

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GLASERSFELD, Ernst von
An introduction to radical constructivism, in Watzlawick, P. (ed.) (1984), pp. 17-40.

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GLASERSFELD, Ernst von
The Construction of Knowledge: Contributions to Conceptual Semantics, Seaside CA: Intersystems,1987.

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GLASERSFELD, Ernst von
An exposition of radical constructivism, in Donaldson (ed.), Texts in Cybernetic Theory, American Society for Cybernetics, 1988.

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GLASERSFELD, Ernst von
A Constructivist Approach to Teaching, in Steffe, L.P., and J. Gale (eds.), Constructivism in Education, Hillsdale NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1995, pp. 3-15.

This paper can now be accessed via WWW. It is included in "Lesson 7: Education and Systems Theory ", among the tutorials provided by Democritus University of Thrace (in Greece). The URL is:

http://platon.ee.duth.gr/~soeist7t/Lessons/lesson7.htm

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GLASERSFELD, Ernst von
Radical Constructivism: A Way of Knowing and Learning, London: Falmer Press, 1995.

This is von Glaserfeld's autobiographical review of his development of 'radical constructivism', which correlates with the epistemological positions of Maturana and Varela. This is probably the best introduction to von Glaserfeld's views on epistemology and learning.

You can pursue access to this book now through the Observer Web Book Shop

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GLASERSFELD, Ernst von
Distinguishing the observer: An attempt at interpreting Maturana.
English translation of (1990) Die Unterscheidung des Beobachters: Versuch einer Auslegung. In: V. Riegas & C. Vetter (eds.) Zur Biologie der Kognition, Frankfurt: Suhrkamp, pp. 281-295.
Article of December 1997, available via WWW at:

http://www.oikos.org/vonobserv.htm

Italian translation (1991) also available at http://www.oikos.org

Abstract:

"Humberto Maturana is one of the few authors that nowadays engage the construction of a wide, complete, esplicatory system, comparable to those of Plato or Leibniz. His "autopoietic" approach includes also the origin of the observer, meant as a methodological prius who provide itself a view of the world. Here I try to follow the way Maturana sees the birth of res cogitans (entity which gains awareness of what it's doing). I try to demonstrate that the basic activity of distinguishing can certainly lead to the distinction with which the observer is separated from anything observed. But I conclude that - at least for this interpreter - the origin of active consciousness remains obscure, that is, what works as the agent of distinguishing."

If for no other reason, this article is interesting for the fact that it illuminates points of both comparative agreement and disjunction between autopoietic theory and von Glaserfeld's own radical constructivism.

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GOGUEN, J. A., and F. J. VARELA
Systems and distinctions: Duality and complementarity, International Journal of General Systems, Vol. 5 (1979), pp. 31-43.

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GOMEZ, P., and G.J.B. PROBST
Organizational closure in management -- a complementary view to contingency approaches, paper presented at the American Society for Cybernetics Meeting on Autonomy, Intervention, and Dependence, Philadelphia (1992). Also University of Geneva working paper, 1992.

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GOOLISHIAN, Harold A., and Lee WINDERMAN
Constructivism, autopoiesis and problem determined systems, The Irish Journal of Psychology, Vol. 9 (1988), no. 1, pp. 130-143.

Discusses constructivism and autopoiesis with respect to psychotherapy. A theoretical basis for clinical practice is presented, focusing on (1) humans being meaning-generating systems and (2) the concept of problem determined systems.

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GOUDSMIT, Arno L. (ed.)
Self-Organization In Psychotherapy. Demarcations Of A New Perspective, New York/Heidelberg: Springer Verlag, 1989.

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GOUDSMIT, Arno L.
The black hole of psychotherapy research. Organizational closure in psychotherapeutic processes, in F. Heylighen, E. Rosseel, F. Demeyere, (eds.), Self-Steering And Cognition In Complex Systems. Toward A New Cybernetics, New York: Gordon & Breach, 1990.

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GOUDSMIT, Arno L.
A one-sided boundary. On the limits of knowing organizational closure, in G. van de Vijver (ed.), New Perspectives On Cybernetics. Self-Organization, Autonomy, Connectionism, Dordrecht: Kluwer (Synthese Libary), 1992.

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GRAHAM, Phil
Critical systems theory: A political economy of language, thought, and technology, Communication Research, Vol. 26 (1999), no. 4, pp. 482-507.

http://www.uq.edu.au/%7Euqpgraha/CST.pdf

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GRAHAM, Phil
Autopoiesis, language, literacy, and the brain, Fine Print, Vol. 22 (1999), no. 2, pp. 2-5.

http://www.uq.edu.au/%7Euqpgraha/Fine%20print.pdf

"...I wish to show the paradoxical and perhaps impenetrable relationship between language and thought - most often attributed to the proper functioning of the brain - and the primarily technological relationship between language and literacy. The argument I briefly present here is that the way we have come to understand and describe literacies of various sorts, especially the ability to read and write, gives us a distorted view of language and the brain - and, perhaps, even of ourselves as learning, languaging creatures."

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GRAHAM, Phil, and B. J. MCKENNA
A theoretical and analytical synthesis of autopoiesis and sociolinguistics for the study of organisational communication, Social Semiotics, Vol. 10 (2000), no. 1, pp. 41-59.

http://www.uq.edu.au/%7Euqpgraha/socsem1.pdf

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GRAHAM, Phil, and David ROONEY
A sociolinguistic approach to applied epistemology: examining technocratic values in global 'knowledge' policy, Journal of Social Epistemology, Vol. 15, no. 3 (July 1, 2001: Special issue on the commercialisation of epistemology), pp. 155 - 169.

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GRAY, William
System-forming aspects of General Systems Theory, group forming, and group functioning, in DURKIN, J. (ed.), Living Groups: Group Psychotherapy and General Systems Theory, New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1981, pp. 294-315.

A general invocation of autopoiesis and an analysis of its relation to 'anamorphosis' (with respect to individual and group processes).

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GUDDEMI, Phillip
Autopoiesis, semeiosis, and co-coupling: A relational language for describing communication and adaptation, Cybernetics & Human Knowing, Vol.7, no.2-3, 2000, pp. 127­145.

Abstract available in PDF format at:

http://www.imprint-academic.demon.co.uk/C&HK/vol7/guddemi.pdf

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GUDDEMI, Phillip
Autopoiesis, semeiosis, and co-coupling: A relational language for describing communication and adaptation, Cybernetics & Human Knowing, Vol.7, no.2-3, 2000, pp. 127­145.

Abstract accessible in PDF (Adobe Acrobat) format at:

http://www.imprint-academic.demon.co.uk/C&HK/vol7/guddemi.pdf

HALLBOM, Kristine
The map is the territory: A systemic trip through the lenses of autopoiesis, Anchor Point Magazine, April 2000.

Republished with permission on the Web at:

http://www.nlpcomprehensive.com/articles/nlp/TheMap.htm

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HAMPDEN-TURNER, Charles
Maps of the Mind: Charts and concepts of the mind and its labyrinths, New York: Collier, 1981.

This book is peripheral, but interesting in its own right. Hampden-Turner attempts to provide a comprehensive listing of the diverse models of mind proposed from antiquity to the present day. The specific link to autopoietic theory is his summary treatment of Francisco Varela (Map 55, p. 192). Hampden-Turner's only (admitted) knowledge of Varela's work derives from the 1976 article Not One, Not Two -- the only significant treatment of complementarity and the 'star' operator outside of Principles of Biological Autonomy. I'm not convinced that Hampden-Turner has a clear grasp of Varela's point(s) in this regard, but to his credit he (a) ties the notions (as he understands them) to Gregory Bateson's theories and (b) gives attention (if by default) to one of the least-explored aspects of Varela's mid-period work. Interestingly, Maturana is not mentioned in the book at all. This is somewhat ironic, given that is he (not Varela) whose subsequent career has intersected with psychotherapeutic studies.

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HARNDEN, Roger J.
The languaging of models: the understanding and communication of models with particular reference to Stafford Beer's cybernetic model of organization structure, Systems Practice, Vol. 3 (1990), no. 3, pp. 289-302.

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HARNDEN, Roger J., and Roy STRINGER
Theseus: The Evolution of a Hypermedium, series of WWW pages available at:

http://www.arts.uwa.edu.au/TheseusWWW/Theseus.html

This series of WWW pages outlines the theory and development of Theseus -- an application providing a hypermedium whose form and function are based on 'an embodied model of knowledge and understanding, as effective action'. Maturana's theory of 'languaging' and Varela's enaction / embodiment themes are woven throughout the discussion.

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HAYLES, N. Katherine
The materiality of informatics, Configurations: A Journal of Literature, Science, and Technology, 1992, 1.1: pp. 147-170. Available via WWW at:

http://calliope.jhu.edu/journals/configurations/v001/1.1hayles.html

Hayles invokes The Embodied Mind in her discussion of embodiment and the role of information technologies in society.

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HAYWARD, Jeremy W.
Perceiving Ordinary Magic: Science and intuitive wisdom, Boston: Shambhala, 1984.

In the course of this analysis of perception and epistemology, Hayward invokes Maturana and Varela's work.

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HEJL, Peter M.
The problem of a scientific description of society, in Benseler, Hejl, and Köck (eds.) (1980), pp. 147-161.

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HEJL, Peter M.
The definition of system and the problem of the observer: The example of the theory of society, in Roth and Schwegler (eds.) (1981), pp. 170-185.

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HEJL, Peter M.
Towards a theory of social systems: Self-organization and self- maintenance, self-reference and syn-reference, in Ulrich and Probst (eds.) (1984), pp. 60-78.

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HEJL, Peter M.
Konstruktion der sozialen Konstruktion : Grundlinien einer konstruktivistischen Sozialtheorie, Siegen : Institut für Empirische Literatur- und Medienforschung, 1985. Series Name: LUMIS-Schriften, 0177-1388. Summary in English and German.

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HEJL, Peter M.
Self-Regulation in Social Systems: Explaining the Process of Research. (LUMIS-Schriften 21/89). Siegen: Universität Gesamthochschule Siegen/LUMIS, 1989.

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HEJL, Peter M.
Self-regulation in social systems, in Krohn, W., G. Kuppers, and H. Nowotny (eds.) (1990), pp.114-127.

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HEJL, Peter M.
Culture as a Network of Socially Constructed Realities, in Rigney, A., and D. Fokkema (eds.), Cultural Participation: Trends since the Middle Ages. Amsterdam, Philadelphia: J. Benjamins, 1993, pp. 227-250.

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HEJL, Peter M.
Autopoiesis or Co-Evolution? Reconceptualizing the Relation between Individuals and Societies, Paragrana: Internationale Zeitschrift für Historische Anthropologie, Vol. 4 (1995), no. 2, pp. 294-314.

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HEJL, Peter M.
The Importance of the Concepts of 'Organism' and 'Evolution' in E. Durkheim's 'Division of Social Labour' and the Influence of H. Spencer, in Maasen, Sabine, E. Mendelsohn & P. Weingart (eds.), Biology as Society, Society as Biology: Metaphors.(Sociology of the Sciences, A Yearbook, Vol. XVIII - 1994), Dordrecht: Kluwer, 1995, pp. 155-191.

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HEJL, Peter M., Hubert HENDRICHS, Raphael FALK, and Eva JABLONKA
Complex Systems: Multilevel and Multiprocess Approaches, in Weingart, P., et al. (eds.), Human by Nature. Between Biology and the Social Sciences, Hillsdale NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1997, pp. 387-425.

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HEJL, Peter M., Wolfram K. KÖCK, and Gerhard ROTH (eds.)
Wahrnehmung und Kommunikation, Frankfurt: Lang, 1978.

This is a hard-to-find collection of papers given at a conference in April 1978 on the theme of 'The Theory of Autopoietic Systems as a New Foundation for the Social Sciences'. All the papers are in German, with the exception of Maturana's contribution, entitled 'Cognition'.

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HELD, B.S., and E. POLS
Dell on Maturana: A real foundation for family therapy?, Psychotherapy , Vol. 24 (1987), no. 3S, pp. 455-461.

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HELD, B.S., and E. POLS
The philosophy of Dell and Maturana, Psychotherapy , Vol. 24 (1987), no. 3S, pp. 466-468.

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HENRY, Charles, and L. M. ROCHA
Language Theory: Consensual Selection of Dynamics, WWW document available at:

http://ssie.binghamton.edu/people/rocha_docs/emcsr96.html

An analysis of the conflict between representationalism and self-organizing paradigms with respect to language and symbolization.

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HOCKING, Brent, HASKELL, Johnna, and Warrent LINDS
Unfolding Bodymind: Exploring Possibility Through Education, Volume Three of the Foundations of Holistic Education Series, Foundation for Educational Renewal Psychology Press/Holistic Education Press, 2001.

You can pursue access to this book now through the Observer Web Book Shop

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HOFFMAN, L.
A constructivist postion for family therapy, The Irish Journal of Psychology, Vol. 9 (1988), pp. 110-129.

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HOFFMAN, L.
Constructing realities: An art of lenses, Family Process, Vol. 29 (1990), 1. (Page 1 only? -- or issue no. 1?)

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HÖGFORS, Marie
Idagsidan (column), Svenska Dagbladet (newspaper), Friday 27 June 1986. 'I biologin finns bara nu' (Interview with Humberto Maturana) (SWEDISH).

Maturana was in Stockholm for a conference sponsored by 'Institutet foer systemteoretisk beteendevetenskap' (Institute for System-Theoretical Behavioral Sciences'). He discusses 'co-drift' (mutual influence between people) and uses the term 'multi- versum' (multi-verse, in contrast to universe) to describe the world as a set of observer-dependent interpretations.

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HOWE, R.H., and Heinz VON FOERSTER
Introductory comments to Francisco Varela's calculus for self-reference, International Journal of General Systems, (1975) 2, pp. 1-3.

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HUFFORD, Kevin D.
Network Thermodynamic Modeling and Lindenmayer System Simulation of Osmotic Growth: A Study of The Artificial Life Aspects of Spontaneous Self-Assembly of Inorganic Matter into Life-Like Forms, Binghamton NY: SUNY Binghamton T.J. Watson School ofEngineering and Applied Science doctoral dissertation, 1995(?). Abstract available via WWW at:

http://www.clarityconnect.com/webpages/webxtreme/kdh/phd.html

An analysis of osmotic growth systems with respect to the formal criteria of autopoiesis with applications to the field of artificial life (Alife).

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HURST, Joseph B.
Implications for a new scientific paradigm for family therapy derived from the theoretical works of Humberto Maturana and Martin Heidegger, doctoral dissertation listed in Dissertation Abstracts International, Vol 49, no. 5A (November 1988), p. 1062.

IN'T VELD, R. J., L. SCHAAP, C.J.A.M. TERMEER, and M.J.W. VAN TWIST (eds.)
Autopoiesis and Configuration Theory: New Approaches to Social Steering, Dordrecht: Kluwer, 1991.

You can pursue access to this book now through the Observer Web Book Shop

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INTRONA, Lucas D.
Management, Information and Power: A narrative of the involved manager, London: MacMillan, 1997.

In addition to Heidegger, Habermas, and a variety of postmodern writers, Introna invokes Maturana and Varela in analyzing the nuances of modern management practices and outlining a preliminary agenda for an emergent alternative.

JANTSCH, Erich
The Self-Organizing Universe, Oxford / New York: Pergamon Press, 1980.

There is extensive reference in this book to autopoiesis as a special case of self-organization (which Jantsch views as largely isomorphic with Prigogine's 'dissipative structures').

You can pursue access to this book now through the Observer Web Book Shop

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JANTSCH, Erich
The unifying paradigm behind autopoiesis, dissipative structures, hyper- and ultracycles, in Zeleny (ed.; 1980 -- cited herein).

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JANTSCH, Erich
Autopoiesis: A central aspect of dissipative self-organization, in Zeleny (1981: cited herein).

Jantsch attempts to categorize autopoiesis as one subcomponent of a more general class of systems, essentially that of dissipative structures.

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JOHNSON, David K.
Reclaiming reality: a critique of Maturana's ontology of the observer, Methodologia, Vol. V (1991), no. 9, pp. 7-31.

(Abstract from the journal website):

A major concern is to demonstrate the contradictory nature of Maturana's conception of ontology. A realist view of the external world is presented, assuming that the independence of the common-sense and scientific entities of the world from our schemes of representation does not render the world an ineffable, inaccessible realm of unspecifiable objects. The theory of Maturana is examined in details with regard to a possible philosophical interpretation, concluding that though Maturana describes himself as presenting a doctrine free of all ontological commitments, that self-description is false.

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JOHNSON, D.K.
The metaphysics of constructivism, Cybernetics & Human Knowing, Vol. 1 (1993), no. 4, pp. 27-41.

A review and critique of constructivistic orientations, including that of Maturana.

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JOHNSON, Mark
The Body In The Mind: The Bodily Basis Of Meaning, Imagination, And Reason, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987.

This book doesn't invoke autopoiesis, but its exploration of embodiment as the basis for cognition is certainly relevant to the epistemology of autopoietic theory and enactive cognitive science.

You can pursue access to this book now through the Observer Web Book Shop

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JUMARIE, Guy
Towards a mathematical theory of autopoiesis, Cybernetica, Vol. XXX, no. 8 (1987), pp. 59-89.

** WARNING!** Jumarie in fact never refers to autopoiesis except in the title, and he makes no references to other authors in autopoietic theory. His model is a rigorous mathematical attempt to apply Shannon's information theory to explain self- organizing systems. He proceeds from 2 very non-autopoietic notions: information as an invariant quantum a la Shannon, and an 'objective' for each system.

KAMPIS, George
Computability, self-reference, and self-amendment, Communication and Cognition - Artificial Intelligence, Vol. 12, Nos.1-2, Special Issue on Self-Reference in Biological and Cognitive Systems, pp. 91-109.

Available via WWW at:

http://www.c3.lanl.gov/~rocha/kampis.html

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KARASH, Richard
Personal notes from a three day seminar by Prof. Humberto Maturana held at the Open University, Milton Keynes, England on March 13-15, 1997. Available via WWW as 3 files:

Linkname: Maturana Seminar #1 - Epistemology LO12887

http://world.std.com/~lo/97.03/0156.html

Linkname: Maturana Seminar #2 - Biology LO12896

http://world.std.com/~lo/97.03/0165.html

Linkname: Maturana Seminar #3 - Humanness LO12903

http://world.std.com/~lo/97.03/0172.html

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KATAKIS, Charis
The self-referential conceptual system: Towards an operational definition of subjectivity, Systems Research, Vol. 7 (1990), no. 2, pp. 91-102.

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KAUFFMAN, Louis H., and Francisco J. VARELA
Form dynamics, Journal of Social Biological Structures, Vol. 3 (1980), pp. 171-206.

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KAWAMOTO, H.
Autopoiesis: The Third Generation System (in Japanese). Seido--sha Publishers, 1995.

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KEENEY, Bradford P.
Ecosystemic epistemology: An alternative paradigm for diagnosis, Family Process, Vol. 18, no. 2 (June 1979), pp. 117-129.

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KENNEALLY, Peter
Talking about autopoiesis -- order from noise?, in Teubner (1988), pp. 349-368.

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KENNY, Vincent, and Georgianna GARDNER
Constructions of self-organising systems, The Irish Journal of Psychology, Vol. 9 (1988), no. 1, pp. 1-24.

Overview and comparison of the theories of G. Kelly and E. Von Glasersfeld in relation to Maturana. All 3 are said to agree on (1) abandoning symbolic representations and (2) instructional interactions being impossible, but they polarize on the issue of reality. Maturana sees reality as an argument to compel or persuade another, whereas the constructivists rely on reality as a primary referent.

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KENNY, Vincent
Life, the multiverse, and everything. An introduction to the ideas of Humberto Maturana, in A.L. Goudsmit (ed.), Self-Organization In Psychotherapy. Demarcations Of A New Perspective, New York/Heidelberg: Springer Verlag, 1989.

This paper is Kenny's personal interpretation of those portions of autopoietic theory (most specifically, Maturana's latter work), particularly as they relate to conversation and Kenny's focal field of psychotherapy. A nice light introduction to some of Maturana's ideas -- particularly those elucidated in the 1988 "Reality..." paper.

An online (earlier?) version of this paper (dated October 1985) is available online at:

http://www.oikos.org/vinclife.htm

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KENNY, Vincent
Anticipating autopoiesis. Personal constructs and self-organizing systems, in A.L. Goudsmit (ed.), Self-Organization In Psychotherapy. Demarcations Of A New Perspective, New York/Heidelberg: Springer Verlag, 1989.

A summary overview of the progression in theories of 'constructivism' (particularly as they relate to social / psychological issues) from George Kelly to von Glasersfeld and Maturana. This was originally an invited paper presented at the conference Psychotherapie en Autonome Systemen, Utrecht, April 1987.

An HTML version of this paper is available via WWW at:

http://www.oikos.org/vincautopo.htm

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KENNY, Vincent
On the subject of autopoiesis and its boundaries: Does the subject matter?, draft of an article later published in the International Journal of General Systems, Vol. 21, No. 2, 1992.

An HTML version of this paper is available via WWW at:

http://www.oikos.org/autopoiesis.htm

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KING, A.
The 'truth' about autopoiesis, Journal of Law and Society, Vol. 20, no. 2 (Summer 1993), pp. 218-236.

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KÖCK, Wolfram K.
Autopoiesis and communication, in Benseler, Hejl, and Köck (1980), pp. 87-112.

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KÖCK, Wolfram K.
On communication and the stability of social systems, in Roth and Schwegler (1981), pp. 145-169.

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KROHN, W., and G. KUPPERS
Self-organization: A new approach to evolutionary epistemology, in K. Hahlweg and C. A. Hooker (eds.), Issues in Evolutionary Epistemology, Albany NY: SUNY Press, 1989, pp. 151-170.

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KROHN, Wolfgang, KUPPERS, Gunter, and Helga NOWOTNY (eds.)
Selforganization : Portrait of a Scientific Revolution, Dordrecht / Boston: Kluwer, 1990.

This is a very satisfying collection of essays on issues of self-organization and its relationship with constructivism. Of particular note is Maturana's essay entitled 'Science and daily life: The ontology of scientific explanations'. Also includes essays by Gunter Teubner, Niklas Luhmann, and Peter Hejl.

You can pursue access to this book now through the Observer Web Book Shop

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KROHN, Wolfgang, KUPPERS, Gunter, and Helga NOWOTNY
Self-organization -  The convergence of ideas: An introduction, in Self-organization: Portrait of a Scientific Revolution. Edited by Krohn W. / Küppers, G. / Novotny, H. (eds.) Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1990. Pages 1-12. (Cf. previous Bibliography entry)

This paper can now be accessed via WWW. It is included in "Lesson 4: Self-Organization", among the tutorials provided by Democritus University of Thrace (in Greece). The URL is:

http://platon.ee.duth.gr/~soeist7t/Lessons/lesson4.htm

LADEUR, Karl-Heinz
Perspectives on a post-modern theory of law: a critique of Niklas Luhmann, 'The Unity of the Legal System', in Teubner (1988), pp. 242-282.

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LETELIER, Juan-Carlos, LENIZ, Fernando, and Francisco BASCUÑAN
Pitfalls, Risks and Challenges in Teaching Biology of Cognition, paper presented at Biology, Language, Cognition and Society: An International Symposium on Autopoiesis, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, November 18-21, 1997. Available via WWW at:

LetLen&Bas(1997).html

This paper is very interesting (and very important) for the fact it outlines some of the key problems encountered by newcomers exploring autopoietic theory. The authors have considerable experience in teaching the biology of cognition to university students at all levels, and as a result their observations are probably the best-informed in the world. Newcomers to autopoietic theory would be well-advised to check this paper as a source of "helpful clues" about where and how one might misconstrue elements of the theory. Highly recommended!

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LIDOV, David
Cross Talk (editorial), The Semiotic Review of Books, a publication of the Toronto Semiotic Circle, Volume 3.3, September 1992, ISBN 0847-1622. Available via WWW at:

http://www.epas.utoronto.ca:8080/~cochrane/srb/semv33.html

An essay built around a review of The Embodied Mind (Varela, Thompson & Rosch, 1991).

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LOCKER, Alfred
Metatheoretical presuppositions for autopoiesis, in Zeleny (1981: cited herein).

A generally critical view of autopoietic theory. He closes with the complaint that Maturana is guilty of 'scientism', and that such approaches cannot be fruitful.

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LOEFGREN, Lars
Life as an autolinguistic phenomenon, in Zeleny (1981: cited herein).

Luhmann has formulated a controversial application of autopoiesis to society. This is perhaps the most widely-known and discussed invocation of autopoiesis in social systems studies. A more comprehensive bibliography of Luhmann's work can be accessed via WWW at:

http://fub46.zedat.fu-berlin.de:8080/~mr94/soziologie/archiv/luhm_bib.txt

http://www.netuse.de/~maro/mr_luhba.html

LUHMANN, Niklas
The Differentiation of Society, New York: Columbia University Press, 1982.

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LUHMANN, Niklas
The world society as a social system, International Journal of General Systems, Vol. 8 (1982), pp. 131-138.

A general commentary on social systems. Not too detailed with respect to his use of autopoiesis; not as detailed as his work on the legal system. He claims here that the social system is closed and autopoietic with respect to communicative acts (so maybe this is where he started the line of thought promoted by Bednarz).

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LUHMANN, Niklas
Insistence on systems theory: perspectives from Germany - an essay, Social Forces, Vol. 61 (1983), no.3, pp. 987-998.

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LUHMANN, Niklas
Soziale Systeme, Frankfurt: Suhrkamp, 1984 (in German)

This is Luhmann's landmark statement of his ascription of autopoiesis to social systems. The book was translated into English as Social Systems (1995 -- cited elsewhere herein).

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LUHMANN, Niklas
The self-description of society: crisis fashion and sociological theory, Int. J. Comp. Soc., Vol. 25 (1984), nos.1-2, pp. 59-72.

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LUHMANN, Niklas
A Sociological Theory of Law, London: RKP,1985.

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LUHMANN, Niklas
Society, meaning, religion - based on self-reference, Sociological Analysis, Vol. 46 (1985), no.1, pp. 5-20.

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LUHMANN, Niklas
The self-reproduction of law and its limits, in Teubner, G. (ed.), Dilemmas of Law in the Welfare State, Berlin: de Gruyter, 1985.

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LUHMANN, Niklas
The autopoiesis of social systems, in Geyer, F., and J. van der Zouwen, (eds.), Sociocybernetic Paradoxes, London: SAGE Publications, 1986, pp. 172 ff.

This paper can now be accessed via WWW. It is included in "LESSON 6: Society and Communication", among the tutorials provided by Democritus University of Thrace (in Greece). The URL is:

http://platon.ee.duth.gr/~soeist7t/Lessons/lesson6_2.htm

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LUHMANN, Niklas
The representation of society within society, Current Sociology, Vol. 35 (1987), no.2, pp. 101-108.

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LUHMANN, Niklas
The unity of the legal system, in Teubner, G. (ed.), Autopoiesis and the Law, Berlin: de Gruyter, 1988, pp. 12-35.

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LUHMANN, Niklas
Closure and openness: On reality in the world of law, in Teubner, G. (ed.), Autopoiesis and the Law, Berlin: de Gruyter, 1988, pp. 335-348.

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LUHMANN, Niklas
Law as a social system, Northwestern University Law Review, Vol. 83 (1989), nos.1,2, pp. 136-150.

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LUHMANN, Niklas
Ecological Communication, Cambridge: Polity Press, 1989.

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LUHMANN, Niklas
Essays on Self-Reference, New York: Columbia University Press, 1990.

You can pursue access to this book now through the Observer Web Book Shop

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LUHMANN, Niklas
The coding of the legal system, in Teubner and Febbrajo (1992), pp. 145-185.

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LUHMANN, Niklas
Operational closure and structural coupling: The differentiation of the legal system, Cardozo Law Review, Vol. 13(1992), no. 5, pp. 1419-1441.

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LUHMANN, Niklas
Ecological communication: coping with the unknown, Systems Practice, Vol. 6(1993), no. 5, pp. 527-540.

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LUHMANN, Niklas
John Bednarz, Jr., and Dirk Baecker (Translators)
Social Systems, Stanford CA: Stanford University Press, 1995.

This is the long-awaited English translation of Luhmann's 1984 landmark book Soziale Systeme. As such, it is the primary English-language book on Luhmann's ascription of autopoiesis to social systems.

You can pursue access to this book now through the Observer Web Book Shop

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LUISI, P. and Francisco VARELA
Self-replicating micelles - a chemical version of a minimal autopoietic system, Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere, Vol. 19 (1989), pp. 633-643.

MAGRO, Cristina
Languaging Language. Communication and Anti-Communication. Washington DC: American Society for Cybernetics, December 1996.

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MAGRO, Cristina (Editor / Organizer)
Workbook: Biology, Cognition, Language, and Society (an international symposium on autopoiesis), November 18-21 1997 , Belo Horizonte (Brazil): Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, November 1997.

This volume is the compendium of papers accepted for presentation at the 1997 Belo Horizonte symposium. Copies of the volume were distributed to symposium participants as part of their registration packages. Thanks, Cristina !!

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MALDONADO, Pedro E., and Humberto R. MATURANA
Frontal and lateral visual system in birds: Frontal and lateral gaze, Brain, Behavior & Evolution, Vol. 32, no. 1 (July 1988), pp. 57-62.

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MARGULIS, Lynn
Big trouble in biology: Physiological autopoiesis versus mechanistic neo-Darwinism, in Brockman, John (ed.), Doing Science: The Reality Club 2, New York: Prentice Hall, 1988, pp. 211-235.

Margulis treats autopoiesis as an alternative paradigm for addressing living systems, but her usage of terminology from autopoietic theory is not very precise. Her emphasis on 'metabolism' as an operant process differentiating autopoietic from non-autopoietic systems can be construed as implying (in contrast to simple structural evolution / change) something akin to 'input-output', which Varela (1979) specifically dismisses as a characteristic of autonomous systems.

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MARIOTTI, Humberto
Autopoiesis, Culture and Society,essay available at:

http://www.oikos.org/mariotti.htm

From the introduction:

"The concept of autopoiesis has long surpassed the realm of biology. It has been used in areas so diverse as sociology, psychotherapy, management, anthropology, organizational culture, and many others. This circumstance transformed it in a very important and useful instrument for the investigation of reality. Years ago, Chilean scientists Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela proposed the following question: to what extent human social phenomenology could be seen as a biological phenomenology? The purpose of this article is to look for an answer to this question. However, before getting to it I think that it is necessary to review some of the fundamental principles introduced by these two authors."

Humberto Maturana's work and vision established the basis for the theory of autopoiesis. As such, his writings must be considered (as well as his student Francisco Varela's) as the primary sources in this area. Any functional understanding of autopoietic theory requires a solid grounding in the sources cited below.

Further information on Maturana can be accessed via WWW at:

The American Society for Cybernetics 'disciplinary matrix' on Maturana at:

http://www.gwu.edu/~asc/people/Maturana/index.html

The Maturana page at the Ecology of Mind Web site in Italy:

http://www.oikos.org/maten.htm

A 1996 compilation of Maturana's publications (including non-English and non-autopoiesis materials not listed here) can be found in:

Humberto Maturana: The 'Official' Bibliography<

MATURANA, Humberto R.
The neurophysiology of cognition, in Garvin, P. (ed.), Cognition: A Multiple View, New York: Spartan Books, 1970, pp. 3-24.

This is cited by Varela (1979) as being a particularly important early paper. It was Maturana's first publication of the issues, perspectives, and positions which became the biology of cognition (and later autopoietic theory). It is a clearly written, concise introduction to the direction Maturana was going in 1969 -- long before the later terminology of 'organization', 'structure', and 'autopoiesis' were formulated and/or standardized. It contains his only discussion of AI -- computer systems as autonomous systems of the same type as his analysis of living ones.

A remarkably satisfying paper; terminological disjunction aside, it i