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

MODELER (Role of the) 1)

The role of the modeler should not be merely technical. Even if his/her models refer to quite simple processes, as for example queuing, he/she should at least seek information about the system within which queuing occurs, as for example in which conditions, when and for which reasons it occurs. Only then may the model be really understandable and useful to the decision maker.

It must however be conceded that the dialogue between the modeler and the decision maker is often awkward. Both could in many case benefit from the systems approach.

Modeling also implies processes of simplification and abstraction that should not remain merely implicit or hidden. In particular, sequential modeling in computers implies a certain concept of causality which may not take care of real complexity resulting from the different rates of propagation in time of the various interacting initial conditions. This problem is quite obvious in FORRESTER's systems dynamics.

On the other hand, no modeler is free of biases and, in D. MEADOWS et al.: "One can never be fully aware of all one's biases. But one can be aware that one is unaware and deliberately expose oneself to situations in which biases can be discovered (the best way is to 'hang out' with whomever one regards as the ennemy). In the presence of all global modelers, the special preferences and phobias of each different global modeler become evident. Giving the thorough agreement that modeling is not and can never be a detached, totally objective activity, it would be a refreshing change to see modelers present themselves in person and in print as involved human beings instead of detached, objective mechanics" (1982, p.278-9). These questions have also been considered, along with the subject of moral responsibility of the modeler, by F. KILE and A. RABEHI in their paper on "The Agenda of the Modeler" (1979, p.18-24).

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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