Skip to the main content

Synthesis philosophica, Vol. 36 No. 1, 2021.

Review article

https://doi.org/10.21464/sp36112

Self, Agency and Autonomy in Dynamical Living Systems

Teodor Negru ; Radboud Universiteit, Faculteit der Filosofie, Theologie en Religiewetenschappen, Erasmusplein 1, NL–6525 HT Nijmegen

Full text: english pdf 445 Kb

page 191-215

downloads: 396

cite

Full text: croatian pdf 445 Kb

page 214-214

downloads: 189

cite

Full text: german pdf 445 Kb

page 214-215

downloads: 189

cite

Full text: french pdf 445 Kb

page 215-215

downloads: 317

cite

Abstract

In this paper, I intend to offer a new explanation of the self both from the biological and dynamical systems theory perspectives. This means that I support the idea that the self is a consequence of biological control mechanisms, either of the internal processes or resulting from the interaction of an organism with the environment. From the perspective of the dynamical systems theory, the self will be approached as a bundle of patterns resulting from adapting of a living system to the conditions of the environment. In the first part of the paper, the self is understood starting from three characteristics of the living systems, resulting from the self-organisation of the organic matter: identity, unity and self-maintenance. In the second part, I discuss one of the most important characteristics of the self: agency. The sense of agency is approached as being made of three components: coupling of the organism with the world, the control of the internal and external processes, and prediction. In conclusion, I discuss the issue of the relation between the self and autonomy, considering the self as a consequence of the degrees of freedom of a living system.

Keywords

self; agency; autonomy; dynamical systems; autopoiesis

Hrčak ID:

257933

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/257933

Publication date:

8.6.2021.

Article data in other languages: croatian german french

Visits: 2.833 *