Definition

Autopoiesis, which combines the concepts of autonomy and production, is the ongoing self-creation of biological systems. It is a system that can build and sustain itself by making its own components.

The word “autopoiesis” was coined in the 1970s by the neurobiologists Humberto R. Maturana and Francisco J. Varela describes the self-production and reproduction of biological systems, including cells, plants, and humans.

An autopoietic system’s constituent parts replicate both themselves and the relationships among them. Therefore, it is operationally closed to the outside.  The system establishes the reproduction laws in a manner that is primarily independent of its particular environment.

Explanation

This ungainly neologism alludes to the possibility that systems could be self-producing in biology and systems theory. For instance, the orderliness of biological cells is produced mainly by how the cells function on their own, not by the actions of outside forces.

Specific computer applications may also produce self-organizing ecosystems. Sociologists have recently started using this terminology to explain how societies create their own order. Currently, it seems that this is only the most recent in a long series of allusions to the life sciences, and many usages of the word, including those made by Niklas Luhmann, appear to be metaphorical rather than literal.

The idea of autopoiesis supports constructivist notions of reality. An observer attributes behavior to a system, not what the system is doing. The observer’s autopoiesis also influences the observations that are made.

The idea had a significant impact across several fields. Luhmann adopted the idea of the autopoietic organization from sociology and applied it to systems theory. Functional systems that are envisioned as autonomous systems are unable to interact directly. They only pay attention to data that can be changed into something useful for the particular reproduction of a system. 

A framework incorporating ideas like “resonance,” “media of steering,” and “cognitive stylized meaning” is provided by the sociological concept of autopoiesis developed by the sociologist Niklas Luhmann. This framework offers tools for the analysis of corporate, public, and other forms of governance.

The idea is used in social sciences to describe how social and psychic systems operate with self-referential closure. Social systems are made out of psychic thinking systems and communication. As a result of their self-referential closure, neither can reach into their surroundings but are receptive to them.

For instance, the economic system only accepts truth as the fundamental science component if it can be converted into money. These autonomous systems have the potential to pair when they jointly create relevant settings structurally. Many scientific advancements are crucial for economic success, and scientific research is supported financially by the economic system.