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Autonomy and process closure as the basis for functionality

Collier1

  • 1Department of Philosophy, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia. pljdc@alinga.newcastle.edu.au

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|May 20, 2000
PubMed
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This study redefines biological function, proposing that serving autonomy—self-maintaining processes—is key. This new perspective offers a richer understanding of adaptation and selection by focusing on organizational dynamics.

Area of Science:

  • Philosophy of Science
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Systems Biology

Background:

  • Current theories of biological functionality primarily rely on etiological accounts, focusing on design or selection.
  • These etiological accounts often overlook the internal organizational requirements of biological systems and their environmental interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a novel account of biological function centered on autonomy.
  • To redefine adaptiveness and adaptability in terms of autonomy, emphasizing organizational characteristics.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of existing etiological accounts of function.
  • Development of a new framework defining function based on serving autonomy.
  • Re-evaluation of adaptation and adaptability through the lens of autonomy.

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Main Results:

  • Function is redefined as serving autonomy, defined as the closure of self-maintaining processes.
  • Autonomy is presented as an inherently dynamic property rooted in interacting processes and system organization.
  • The proposed definition highlights the organizational character of adaptiveness, offering a more comprehensive view than etiological accounts.

Conclusions:

  • The autonomy-based account of function provides a richer understanding of adaptation and selection.
  • This framework emphasizes the critical role of internal organization in biological systems.
  • Redefining adaptiveness in terms of autonomy offers new insights into evolutionary and developmental processes.