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

MATRIX (The) 1)3)4)

← Back

L.H. KAUFFMAN writes that this film "is a cinematic exercise in virtual reality and virtual logic"(1999, p. 65)

It could also be said that it is an animated metaphor of probably quite basic characteristics of human societies. Kauffman describes it as follows: The Matrix is all around you. It is in the air you breathe, in the ground you walk on, in the sights you see and in the feelings that you feel. You yourself are composed of it just as much as it is composed of you" (Ibid)… and of course, of all humans.

"You imagine yourself to be an observer independent of the Matrix, but the very possibility of your observation, your sense of Self and World is produced by the Matrix.

"One might say that the Matrix observes itself, but that would be overstepping the bounds of language, for the very act of saying that "it" observes "itself" presupposes a split between the observed and the observer that does not exist in the presence of the act" (Ibid)

Kauffman's short paper develops striking comments. In its own way, it is reminiscent of the "Public opinion" engraving of Arnold BÖCKLIN.

One may also ask oneself if the Matrix metaphor could be a significant step toward the deeper understanding of ourselves, that all humans need urgently if we are to avoid the global demise of the species.

→ Contingency (Mutual); Cultures as systems; Language and culture; Metaphor; Parallel distributed processing; "Reality"(Riddle of); Stigmergy; Swarm intelligence

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