The tree of knowledge: the biological roots of human understanding"Knowing how we know" is the subject of this book. Its authors present a new view of cognition that has important social and ethical implications, for, they assert, the only world we humans can have is the one we create together through the actions of our coexistence. Written for a general audience as well as for students, scholars, and scientists and abundantly illustrated with examples from biology, linguistics, and new social and cultural phenomena, this revised edition includes a new afterword by Dr. Varela, in which he discusses the effect the book has had in the years since its first publication. |
What people are saying - Write a review
User ratings
| 5 stars |
| ||
| 4 stars |
| ||
| 3 stars |
| ||
| 2 stars |
| ||
| 1 star |
|
LibraryThing Review
User Review - georgeslacombe - LibraryThingAmazing book on the building of complexity in biological beings. Complexity in inherent of living things, how simple unicelular being evolved to more complex ones and how the nervous system works. I ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - abraxalito - LibraryThingA book with depth beyond any textbook I've read yet which looks like an easy reader at first sight. Very, very deceptive. Needs careful consideration as it bridges across so many traditional ... Read full review
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Adapted from J. T. amino acids Autopoiesis Autopoiesis and Cognition autopoietic unities axon Behavior biological roots Blakenmore blue whale Buchsbaum cellular division cerebral hemispheres coexistence cognitive science Conservation Culture in Animals day 1 mo dendrites dynamics environment ethical eukaryotes Evolution of Culture Freeman fusion gives origin H. R. Maturana history of structural hr 1 day Humberto Maturana ideas individual ions J. T. Bonner M. C. Escher meta metacellular organism metacellular systems mo 1 yr molecular multicellular organism myxomycete natural drift nervous system neuron nucleic acid occurs ontogeny operational closure organization of metacellulars participates phenomenology phylogeny primates prokaryotes proteins reader recurrent interactions result San Francisco Santiago Scientific American Second-Order Unities sexual reproduction Social Phenomena spore structural changes structural coupling swim Symbiosis Taken from J. T. takes place tion Tree of Knowledge trophallaxis Unities Operational University of Chile Varela view of knowledge world brought York zygote
References to this book
Bibliographic information
| Title | The tree of knowledge: the biological roots of human understanding |
| Authors | Humberto R. Maturana, Francisco J. Varela |
| Edition | revised |
| Publisher | Shambhala, 1992 |
| ISBN | 0877736421, 9780877736424 |
| Length | 269 pages |
| Subjects | › › › Cognition Cognition/ Physiological aspects Learning Learning/ Physiological aspects Medical / Neuroscience Neuropsychology Psychology / Cognitive Psychology Science / Life Sciences / Biology / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |