International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics

This peculiar systems theory has been progressively elaborated by M. MULEJ from 1974 on, and constantly researched by Mulej and his collaborators at Maribor University (Slovenia) from 1992 to date.

The most recent definition of the "dialectical system" is as follows: "DS is a system of all relevant and only relevant/requisite viewpoints systems"(Ecimovic, T. et al., 2002, section 4.1)

The authors are conscious of the difficulty to reach consensus about what is relevant or not, and discuss this point.

They describe their view of the Dialectical System as follows: "It starts from the notion that a system does not exist, but the object does, and the system reflects it, but partially: it exposes the part of object's characteristics, which is relevant from the viewpoint selected, only. Thus, a system is supposed to support holism, but it is fictitiously holistic in its own traditional definition:

1. From the formal mathematical viewpoints, a system is an ordered set, hence holistic.

2. In its contents, a system embraces only a part of the really existing characteristics, hence it is not holistic; its scope is limited to the viewpoint(s)/ aspect(s) selected by the observer(s)/ manager(s) of the topic in question. DST defines holism as a system (=ordered set) made of

- Systemics (= consideration of the global part of the given characteristics of the event, object or process under consideration, i.e. in a synergy/synthesis), and

- Systematics (= consideration of the detailed part of the characteristics of the event, object or process under consideration per parts with no synergies, i.e. analytically), and

- Dialectics (= consideration of interdependencies among mutually partly equal and partly different or even opposing elements of the object, event or process under consideration, and of processes, which are caused by these processes and cause the transition from the sum of systematic characteristics of the object, event or process under consideration to the systemic ones), and

- Materialism (= consideration of reality rather than self-bluffing about the characteristics of the event, object or process under consideration)

Holism normally includes consideration of the environment of the event, object or process under consideration, of course. This is called an open system concept. The open system concept, on DST terms, does not simply include environment from the specific selected viewpoint only, but also a system of all different viewpoints, which might be relevant, essential for achievement of a requisite holism."