BCSSS

International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics

2nd Edition, as published by Charles François 2004 Presented by the Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science Vienna for public access.

About

The International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics was first edited and published by the system scientist Charles François in 1997. The online version that is provided here was based on the 2nd edition in 2004. It was uploaded and gifted to the center by ASC president Michael Lissack in 2019; the BCSSS purchased the rights for the re-publication of this volume in 200?. In 2018, the original editor expressed his wish to pass on the stewardship over the maintenance and further development of the encyclopedia to the Bertalanffy Center. In the future, the BCSSS seeks to further develop the encyclopedia by open collaboration within the systems sciences. Until the center has found and been able to implement an adequate technical solution for this, the static website is made accessible for the benefit of public scholarship and education.

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"INFORMATION" in non-human natural systems 1)3)

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The use of the term and concept of "information" outside of human systems should be atleast seriously questioned.

It is, for example, sometimes stated that the DNA "contains coded genetic information". It is thus implied that the cells receive "messages" containing some "meanings" which influence their behavior, because they are able to "understand" these "meanings".

All of this vocabulary really reflects a deep-seated anthropomorphism. We translate and "psychologize" cellular behavior, using quite an over-extended metaphor if we remember that "informatio" is some exchange between brains, or, at most, between a brain and a computer.

However, DNA effectively "rules", at least, part of the cell behavior. Is thus information somehow equivalent with behavior control? And dare we concede a kind of volitive action to DNA over the cell? We may allow ourselves the right to use isomorphies, analogies, and even metaphors, but we should be careful and avoid semantic abuse.

Categories

  • 1) General information
  • 2) Methodology or model
  • 3) Epistemology, ontology and semantics
  • 4) Human sciences
  • 5) Discipline oriented

Publisher

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science(2020).

To cite this page, please use the following information:

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science (2020). Title of the entry. In Charles François (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics (2). Retrieved from www.systemspedia.org/[full/url]

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