Francisco Varela

Francisco Javier Varela García (September 7, 1946 – May 28, 2001) was a Chilean biologist, philosopher, cybernetician, and neuroscientist. Together with his mentor Humberto Maturana, he is best known for introducing the concept of autopoiesis to biology. He also co-founded the Mind and Life Institute, which promotes dialogue between science and Buddhism. Varela was born in Talcahuano, Chile. He pursued his education at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, the University of Chile, and Harvard University, where he earned a Ph.D. in biology in 1970. His thesis focused on insect retinas and visual processing. Following the 1973 military coup in Chile, Varela lived in exile in the United States for seven years before returning to Chile to teach biology. He became interested in Tibetan Buddhism in the 1970s, studying with meditation masters. In 1986, Varela moved to France, where he held positions at the École Polytechnique and the University of Paris. From 1988 until his death, he led a research group at the CNRS. In 1987, he co-founded the Mind and Life Institute to facilitate discussions between scientists and the Dalai Lama on the relationship between science and Buddhism. Varela's work significantly contributed to the fields of biology, cognitive science, and neuroscience. He supported the idea of embodied cognition, viewing cognition and consciousness as arising from the enactive structures of the body and its environment. He popularized the concept of neurophenomenology, which combines phenomenology with scientific methods to study conscious experience. His book 'The Embodied Mind' (1991), co-authored with Evan Thompson and Eleanor Rosch, is a seminal work in cognitive science. Varela died in Paris in 2001 at the age of 54. He had four children, including actress Leonor Varela.