Self-organization and action: A systemic approach to common action

Abstract

This chapter investigates the assumptions and implications of the mechanistic approach to action. First, some of the central theses of classical mechanics are investigated, and it is noted that given the dualist ontology in which such theses are situated, studies on the nature of action are inserted in a causal model. Second, some of the main problems arising from the mechanistic approach to action are discussed, specifically regarding models that suggest understanding the nature of action in terms of intentional causal networks. Third, the theory of Self-Organization is used with the purpose of providing a naturalistic approach to action that does not entail the problems faced by classical mechanics. Finally, the relevance of qualitative aspects of the evolutionary dynamics of organisms is emphasized in relation to the elaboration of a theory of action.