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

DECISION 1)4)

← Back

"Logical operation enabling an autonomous system to act in order to reach some goal" (M. BELIS, 1987, p.57).

According to J.Z. YOUNG, decision is "the process of choosing between alternative programs of action" (1974, p.291). It implies the introduction of new constraints in order to limit choices and clearly define the chosen alternative. Of course, alternatives should be clear and, as decision is generally related to the management of systems, which require global understanding of complex Situations, the systems approach is a basic tool

M. BELIS comments her definition: "This is proper to cybernetic systems, which are finalized autonomous systems" (Ibid).

Capacity of decision is an aspect of autonomy in P. VENDRYES sense, i.e. the ability of a system to regulate and control its internal states (1989, p.147).

Some systemists speak of a "decision science" which should explore the conditions of decision making. Considering the multiple historical and cultural differences, as well as the widely different situations that condition decision making, constructing such a science would be a considerable challenge.

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]

We thank the following partners for making the open access of this volume possible:

© 2020 BCSSS Contact/Imprint