Reproducer Classification Using the Theory of Affordances

We present a new approach to the classification of reproducers based on an affordance theory of reproductive behaviour. First, we define the notion of an affordance as an action that one object in an environment can perform for another object. Using this ontology we can classify the reproducer space according to the presence (or absence) of a self-description and/or reproductive machinery. We give examples of how various reproducers (both natural and artificial) can be categorised, and show how this ontology can be used to separate trivial from non-trivial examples of reproduction. With a worked example we show how we might use this approach to classify computer viruses, and gain insight into their reproductive reliance on external agency. Finally, we conjecture that reproduction requires a self-description and a reproductive mechanism, whether it is supplied from within or from an external agent