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.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

CAUSAL LOOP 1)2)3)

A cause and effect relation closed on itself.

A causal loop is the result of a feedback of the effect upon the cause. Interconnected causal loops may become very complex. This model has been extensively explored by M. MARUYAMA (1994, p.75-87).

The feedback can also take the form of a circular and cyclical chain of feedbacks. It can reduce, maintain or amplify the process.

MARUYAMA explains: "The dynamics of causal loops has two aspects: quantitative and qualitative. The former is a matter of change amplification and change counteraction; the latter deals with heterogeneity and interrelations among heterogeneous elements, as well as the creation of new patterns and inventive processes" (p.75).

At the beginnings of cybernetics, much emphasis was on reducing or stabilizing causal loops. This is still the case in some disciplines. In MARUYAMA's words: "Causal loops have become invisible in the black box, and we have fallen back on loopless input/output relations". LEONTIEFF's input/output matrixes in economic theory are a typical case.

MARUYAMA moreover observes that: "Economists tend to ignore change-amplifying causal loops and believe in equilibrium or the cycle almost superstitiously" (p.75). See "Economics in systemic terms".

MARUYAMA offers a causal loops notation with the needed explanations (p.76-80). He insists on the importance of initial states, reversal effects and of time delays.

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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