Maturana and Varela

Maturana and Varela were biologists renowned for their work on understanding how living systems perceive and interact with their environment. They introduced the concept of autopoiesis, meaning that living beings continually produce and maintain themselves through their processes. They believed that perception is not just passive reception of data but an active process shaped by our biological structures. Their ideas emphasize that cognition is rooted in the enacting of our world, highlighting the interconnectedness of life, perception, and consciousness. Essentially, they show that living systems are self-maintaining, autopoietic entities that create their own reality through ongoing interactions.