Biónica: eficacia versus eficiencia en la tecnología natural y artificial

Abstract

This paper reflects on the concepts of efficiency and efficacy in nature and in the field of artificial productions. It takes as a theoretical framework Quintanilla's definitions on the philosophy of technology. From a diachronic study try to establish a clear demarcation between these concepts, often used as synonyms in the design field. This discussion involves problems such as the increasingly blurred distinction between natural and artificial productions, the notion of complexity, and the relationship between efficiency and progress both in natural and artificial domains.