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.

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SYNCHRONIC and DIACHRONIC 1)3)

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Superficial exponents of structuralist concepts frequently oppose the diachronic aspects of structures to their synchronic aspects. Some even understand structure as a pure synchronic concept.

J.L.LE MOIGNE observes on this matter: "(PIAGET concluded that) structuralism is in fact a method, not a doctrine. He proposed a global approach describing the object as a whole, functioning and transforming itself (…): "The nature of the subject is to be a functioning center and not the seat of a completed entity" (quote PIAGET, 1968, p.123). May the object not be perceived "as a bundle of transformations" (Ibid, p.124) operating and evolving only through its own operations?" this constant duality, or more precisely bipolarity of properties, being always simultaneously structurating and structured" (LE MOIGNE, 1990, p.11).

LE MOIGNE also quotes the Swiss linguist F.de SAUSSURE: "synchronic truth appears to be the negation of diachronic truth and, looking at the matter in a superficial way, one imagines that one must choose; in fact, this is not necessary as one of these truth does not excludes the other" (1990a, p.29)

In fact, a structure is diachronic as well as synchronic: each instantaneous state of the structure is an embodiment of its temporal totality.

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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