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

PROGRESS 1)3)4)

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The advance towards a positively valued goal.

This is a heavily value-loaden concept which should be considered carefully from a systemic viewpoint.

To begin with, progress should not be confused with progression or increase of quantitative values. Such an increase is normal in immature systems developing along chreods until they reach their normal homeostatic grown-up level. It would turn pathological once such homeostatic state has been attained. This, at least, is the case for living systems, but altogether probably for social ones.

However, quantitative increase may conceivably lead to qualitative progress, if one admits that structuration by dissipation in systems far- from- equilibrium can lead to a higher complexity level.

This view may explain why our materially exploding culture equates so generally progress with quantitative increase (that seems in fact to increase complexity). However, there are some processes, as for example exponential supposedly limitless growth, or non-compensated positive feedback that may easily lead to the demise of the system by exhaustion of its environmental sources or massive overburdening of its environmental sinks.

Thus, progress should not necessarily be identified with growth or increase. We should also make ourselves aware of our cultural prejudices as members of a techno-economical based culture, which could very well be preparing for itself some serious problems generated by its own success.

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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