A Plurality of Perspectives: Maturana’s Impact on Science and Philosophy
Pille Bunnell & Alexander Riegler
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Abstract
Context: Maturana’s lifework is extensive, and consists of a coherent network of interlinked ideas the consequences of which have not been fully explored. Problem: What does it take to understand Maturana’s work? Is “learning” Maturana as arduous as learning a completely different language, or is there sufficient value in learning selected elements of his network of ideas? Method: We discuss these fundamental questions and relate them to aspects of understanding, word meaning and the scientific method. Results: While getting only partially familiar with Maturana can have its merits in certain contexts, there is a clear danger of trying to understand Maturana on the basis of words such as autopoiesis, consciousness, cognition, and science. Implications: We identify three directions in which Maturana’s ideas can be further explored: preparing social media videos, finding ever new domains of application, and their historical-conceptual relativization.
Key words: Language learning, metaphors, scientific method, understanding, word meaning
Citation
Bunnell P. & Riegler A. (2022) A plurality of perspectives: Maturana’s impact on science and philosophy. Constructivist Foundations 18(1): 001–004. https://constructivist.info/18/1/001
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At an even larger level, the concept of “social autopoiesis” has been proposed by Niklas Luhmann (1990) to describe the regenerative nature of networks of linguistic communications. In a social network, each communication generates nonmaterial semantic structures (information, ideas, values, etc.) that give rise to further communications, so that the entire network generates and continually regenerates itself. It is remarkable that social autopoiesis takes place within a cultural boundary of the system’s own making (Capra 2002: 87f).
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