Two themes, in counterpoint, are the motif of this book. The first one is the autonomy exhibited by systems in nature. The second one is their cognitive, informational abilities.
These two themes stand in relation to one another as the inside and the outside of a circle drawn in a plane, inseparably distinct, yet bridged by the hand that draws them.
Autonomy means, literally, self-law. To see what this entails, it is easier to contrast it with its mirror image, allonomy or external law.