Autopoietic Theory

1
Autopoietic Theory

• Self-organization.
• or
• Exploring the science of wholeness that nurtures
  the human spirit.

2

• Introduction
• Simplistic version of Maturana and Varelas (MV)
  Autopoietic Theory
• Description of MVs Qualitative Chemistry
  Example
• McMullins Recent Implementations of MVs
  Qualitative Chemistry Example
• Fields that use Autopoietic Theory

3
Introduction

• Autopoietic Theory
• Cognition can be described as a biological system
  containing an observer and observed unities
  within a medium interacting in the closed system
  defined by the nervous system.
• This system is self-organizing and
  self-rebuilding/self-maintaining.
• Autopoietic Phenomenon
• The self-organization/self-rebuilding of any
  dynamic system with a simple interaction rule set
  and unities limited to local knowledge.

4
Autopoietic Theory

• The Biology of Cognition.
• Chilean biologists Humberto R. Maturana and
  Francisco J. Varela, 1970s.
• Randall Whitaker, http//www.enolagaia.com/AT.html
  .
• Randy McMullin, http//www.eeng.dcu.ie/alife/b
  mcm-ecal97/bmcm-ecal97.html.

5
Cyclic Paths in Life Theory

• Essential circularity in a living system.
• Unbroken network of connected components with no
  start or stop.
• Essential circularity in unitys internal
  operation
• Move out of one environment into another, given
  certain conditions we survive.
• Essential circularity in a unitys interaction
  with its media (environment).

6
The Biology of Cognition

• Attempt to develop a theory explaining cognition
  that avoided the existing cyclic paths.
• Must use cognitive abilities to describe
  cognitive abilities.
• First theory in biology that describes living
  systems by something other than arbitrary
  characteristics (e.g. metabolism, growth,
  reproduction).
• All previous theories ignore the cyclic nature of
  life and describe it in a linear fashion.

7
Autopoietic Theory Basics

• Auto Self.
• Poiesis Greek for production.
• Phenomenological view.
• The Schrodingers Cat of the social sciences
• Physics Things exist in all possible states
  until they are observed at which point they exist
  in one.
• Philosophy Nothing exists until it is observed.

8
Autopoietic Theory Components (1)

• Observer The biological system that can pick out
  specific unities to observe and therefore learn
  about the system.
• The observer has its own biases so two observers
  may not observe the same result from the same
  system.
• Unity the most elementary object of perceptual /
  cognitive reference. Simple or composite.
• The observer may choose the behavioral view and
  see the composite unity as a simple unity or the
  recursive view and see the composite unity as its
  individual parts.
• True result from behavioral view The whole being
  greater than the sum of its parts.

9
Autopoietic Theory Components (2)

• Domain
• All possible states of relation between the
  unities in the system (domain of interaction).
• All relations among observed systems and the
  unities.
• Structures The actual simple unity components
  and relations within a composite unity.
• Organization The set of relations defining a
  composite unity. Specifies a category called an
  identity.

10
Structure vs Organization
Giuseppe Arcimboldo
www.enolagaia.com/Tutorial1.html
11
Observer Bias
12
Cyclic Paths Embraced

• "Everything said is said by an observer to
  another observer that could be him- or herself"
• The qualification of all 'knowledge' with
  respect to a given observer is both the
  epistemological foundation and the explanatory
  focus of autopoietic theory
• epistemological branch of philosophy that
  studies the nature of knowledge.
• "All knowing is doing, and all doing is knowing."
  
• The observer's 'cognition' is a process
  involving the entirety of her interactivity, not
  just abstract mentation. As such, cognition
  cannot be segregated from praxis.
• mentation thinking, mental activity.
• praxis practical application of a branch of
  learning, or an established practice.

13
MV - Qualitative Chemistry

• Three particles (Substrate-Catalyst-Link)
• S substrate particles.
• K catalyst particles.
• L link particles.
• Rules of interaction
• S S L, in the presence of K.
• L L bonded L, in the presence of K, maximum
  two bonds per L particle (forms a chain).
• L S S, spontaneous decay (rare occurrence).

14
McMullin SCL Cellular System

• Linked Link particles are stationary.
• Substrate can pass through the Links.
• Link particles and the catalyst cannot.

http//www.eeng.dcu.ie/alife/bmcm-ecal97/
bmcm-ecal97.html
15
McMullin Implementation

• SCL program was implemented with SWARM software
  from Santa Fe Institute.
• Implementation of MVs originally published rule
  set resulted in consistent failures.
• Found same failures for two other independent
  unpublished groups Zeleny and Lizana.
• Original MV papers were not complete in their
  description of the algorithm/rule set implemented.

16
SCL Original Rule Set
http//www.eeng.dcu.ie/alife/bmcm-ecal97/
bmcm-ecal97.html
17
McMullin Implementation with New Rule

• MV original FORTRAN code listing was found,
  re-keyed and tested.
• Different results than in current implementations
  - resulted in analysis of code.
• Found a rule in the code that was not present in
  the MV publications.
• Can only bind a link particle to another link
  particle if
• it is not part of an existing chain, or
• the free particle is not adjacent to more than
  one member of the chain. No spiraling.

18
SCL New Rule - Fail
http//www.eeng.dcu.ie/alife/bmcm-ecal97/
bmcm-ecal97.html
19
SCL New Rule - Succeed
http//www.eeng.dcu.ie/alife/bmcm-ecal97/
bmcm-ecal97.html
20
Autopoiesis in the Field

• Immunology, psychology, management science,
  human-computer interaction, family therapy,
  sociology, economics, postmodern philosophy,
  public administration, software engineering,
  artificial intelligence, sociology, and
  psychotherapy.
• Networks software agents that rebuild after a
  catastrophic event without central control.
• Robot/Nanobots rebuild themselves within a
  structure as they are needed. Medicine, auto
  construction units.

21
Autopoiesis for the Commoner

• Autopoiesis is a concept (from biology) that has
  extraordinary implications . It describes the
  spontaneous, self-organising, holistic nature of
  living systems rather than the simplistic
  mechanisms we often use to manipulate and
  control. It's a cornerstone of the science of
  wholeness which provides insights into living
  together more harmoniously and a link between the
  scientific and the spiritual.
• http//www.pnc.com.au/lfell/