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

SEMANTIC UNIT 3)

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"A whole group of words or even of sentences acting together, rather than single words acting in isolation." (D. Mac KAY, 1969, p.29)

This definition may be extended towards nonspoken or written expresions. A red stop sign at a crossroads or the ominous roar of thunder, or for a mouse in a field the shape of a sparrowhawk in the sky are somehow bearers of meaning for whom has been trained to understand them (see "semiosis").

On the other hand, any language may be considered as a matrix of countless semantic units.

As noted by G.M. WEINBERG, not only the interrelations between words, but even implicit syntactic and semantic knowledge by the users of the language, are conditions of correct interpretations and suppression of ambiguities. He submits the following amusing example:

"TIME FLIES LIKE AN ARROW"

"FRUIT FLIES LIKE A BANANA" (1975, p.65) and uses it to show the difficulties in resolving ambiguities in computer programs.

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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