ONTOLOGY (Constitutive) (H. MATURANA's)
Charles François (2004). ONTOLOGY (Constitutive) (H. MATURANA's), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(2): 2349.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 2349 ▶ |
| Object type | Epistemology, ontology or semantics |
R. HARNDEN explains constitutive ontology in this way: “Instead of making claims to go beyond or transcend understanding by pointing toward eternal, inmutable verities, a constitutive ontology rest its claims for reality with whatsoever is brought forth by the individual observer, in the course of the consensual coordinations of actions in a community of observers” (1990, p.294).
- “When used as a synonym for \term”{objectivity}“, ontology is ascribed a transcendental status. It suggest something over beyond what is known, something that might be referred to as Reality or as Truth. This Platonic legacy is what is denied by MATURANA's insight into a constitutive ontology. When we place objectivity in brackets, we are left with a world or better, a series of individual cognitive spaces, in dynamic relations with one another and the global environment.” (Ibid, p.294).
and finally…
- “No statement for or against Objectivity is being made.” (Ibid.).
When one objectivizes in an absolute way, what he/she really does is create a theater of ghosts, with a dangerous potential for self-deception, illusory idealization and, easily, ideological intolerance.