This open access book offers an innovative exploration of the concept of autonomy, extending beyond the traditional individualistic perspectives to encompass a richer, more interdependent understanding of autonomy in various domains. The authors delve into the multifaceted nature of autonomy, traversing theoretical, biological, psychological, and technological landscapes to present a comprehensive and cohesive picture. The main topics, including enactivism, biological autonomy, the psychological self in its environment, and the interplay of technology, ecology, and politics, are not only timely but also crucial for understanding the challenges and opportunities of autonomy in our increasingly complex world.
Xabier E. Barandiaran is a philosopher of mind and of biological, cognitive, and social sciences, renowned for his work on complex systems analysis and conceptual simulation models. He is a senior lecturer at the Department of Philosophy at the University of the Basque Country (EHU) and member of the IAS-Research Centre for Life, Mind, and Society. His work encompasses a range of interdisciplinary fields, including philosophy, cognitive sciences, and social sciences, with a special emphasis on the way in which the notion of autonomy materializes in those disciplines. He is co-author of “Sensorimotor Life” (Oxford University Press), a seminal work in the enactive and autonomous approaches to cognitive science and philosophy of mind, and is also co-author of "Decidim, a Technopolitical Network for Participatory Democracy" (Springer), exploring the role of digital commons for sociotechnical autonomy.
Arantza Etxeberria is a philosopher of science exploring organizational and relational perspectives in biology. She studied philosophy at the Complutense University of Madrid and the University of the Basque Country (EHU), where she is currently Full Professor in the Department of Philosophy and a member of the IAS-Research Centre for Life, Mind and Society. Her research covers the philosophy of biology (organizational and evolutionary views, including evo-devo), the philosophy of medicine (historical and conceptual perspectives on health and disease), conceptualizations of the environment and anthropogenic evolution, and evolutionary studies of sex and gender (such as pregnancy and menstruation). Her recent publications in Biology & Philosophy, HOPOS, and ArtefaCToS, and edited volumes in Frontiers in Psychology and Theoria seek conceptual frameworks and scientific examples to understand biological individuals as relationally constituted autonomous entities.
