生命的自创生：认知科学家弗朗西斯科·瓦雷拉

Life’s Autopoiesis: Cognitive Scientist Francisco Varela

摘要: 弗朗西斯科?瓦雷拉是智利著名认知科学家。20世纪70年代初他与亨伯特?马图拉纳提出了著名的自创生理论。通过回溯并分析自创生理论的由来、内涵与证据，揭示了该理论的精髓：“生命系统是自创生的”、“活着即是认知”与“活着即是意义的生成”，并考察了其在认识生命本质与运作规律、区分生命系统与非生命系统、推动认知科学发展等方面的意义。

Abstract: Francisco Varela is a famous Chilean cognitive scientist. In the early 1970’s, Varela and Humberto R. Maturana cosponsored the famous “theory of autopoiesis”. This paper, based on the retrospection and analyzing of the origin, connotation and relevant evidence of the theory of autopoiesis, revealed its essence: “living system is autopoietic”, “living is cognition” and “living is sense-making”, and also appreciated the significance of theory of autopoiesis on realizing the essence of life, division of living system and non-living system, as well as driving the development of cognitive science.