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

SOMATIC ECOLOGY 2)4)5)

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This term has been introduced by the biologist L. BUSS, who writes: "Evolution of multi-cellular forms of life is characterized by an increasing sophistication of cells, tissues, and organs, which perform somatic duties of value to the individual as a whole"(1987, p. 53)

In fact, this behavior of the elements (biological, social or robotic) is coupled with specific, and also more and more sophisticated communication means: from physico-chemical links to symbolic language, through pheromones and mimics.

BUSS adds that this process requires that: "the cells composing them (the tissues and organs)… limit their inherent potential for proliferation. The propensity for continued self-replication has been subjugated to the interest of the whole"(Ibid).

This "subjugation" is in fact a bottom-up upbuilding of an harmonized hierarchy and a functional network, through reciprocal constraits within a shared environment.

The complex nature of these somatic ecology processes is also described by J. HOFFMEYER (1995, p. 16-25)

→ Autogenic systems precursors; Dictyostelium discoideum; Parallel distributed processing; Stigmergy; Swarm intelligence; Zero-system

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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