See also: Varela

Francisco Varela (Santiago of Chile, September 7th 1946 - Paris, May 28th 2001) biologist, neurologist and Philosopher Chile in.

Disciple and collaborator of Humberto Maturana, he invented with him the concept of Autopoièse. He is the author of many works, of which Autonomie and knowledge . In a concern of exceeding the dualism which opposes subjectivism and objectivism, he will propose the concept of énaction or incarnated cognition which makes it possible to apprehend the adaptive action of any living organism like polarity knowledge/action and action/knowledge.

PH. D. of biology of the university of Harvard, he was research director with the CNRS and member of the Research center in epistemology applied Polytechnic school.

It belonged to the Mind and Life Institute, which facilitates the meetings between science and Buddhism.

Principal works

• Invitation with cognitive sciences , 1988

• the body inscription of the spirit, cognitive sciences and human experiment , 1993,
• Daniel Goleman, When the spirit dialogs with the body , (participation), Guy Trédaniel, 1998,
• With Claude Levenson, Dormir, to dream, die, explore the conscience with Dalaï Lama , the Nile editions, 1998,
• With Nathalie Depraz and Pierre Vermersch, One becoming aware: pragmatics has off experiencing , 2003
• Autonomie and knowledge, test on alive the
• a knowledge for ethics: cognitive sciences and Eastern wisdoms
• the tree of knowledge: biological roots of human comprehension