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Hermitix

The Work of Francisco Varela with Sebastjan Vörös

Dec 13, 2023
Associate Professor of Philosophy Sebastjan Vörös discusses the work of Francisco Varela, delving into topics such as embodied cognition, neuro phenomenology, and the concept of Unevelt. They also explore Varela's personal experiences with liver transplant and recommend starting points for understanding his work.
01:04:10

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Quick takeaways

  • Varela emphasized the dynamic, processual nature of life and the constant interaction between organisms and their environment.
  • Varela challenged Cartesian dualism and advocated for a dynamic, relational perspective on consciousness and lived experience.

Deep dives

Francisco Varela: A Holistic Philosopher and Biologist

Francisco Varela was a Chilean philosopher, biologist, and polymath, known for his holistic thinking and interdisciplinary approach. His work is difficult to summarize due to its eclectic nature and the many different traditions and authors he drew from. Varela's main focus was on understanding the relationship between mind and life, and he explored this through concepts like autonomy, circularity, and self-constitution. He developed the theory of autopoiesis, which describes living systems as self-producing and self-maintaining entities. Varela also delved into the field of neurophenomenology, combining rigorous scientific research with a systematic exploration of lived experience. Throughout his work, Varela emphasized the importance of recognizing the dynamic, processual nature of life and the constant interaction between organisms and their environment.

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