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

SYSTEM (Conceptual or formal) 2)3)

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"A system all the components of which are concepts" (M. BUNGE, 1993, p.211)

R.L. ACKOFF calls this type of systems "abstract systems" (1972, P.84).

According to F. FRISCHKNECHT and J.P.van GIGCH: "Formal systems have three levels: vocabulary (terms), language (expressions) and system (production). Being isomorphic, models parallel formal systems: code, semantic net (data base), and algebraic structures. In the theory of computation, levels are called atoms, frames, and states. Formal systems are closed at both ends, by their primitive terms, and by the syntax of their logic" (1989, p.242).

The basic problem with all kinds of formal systems is that they are absolutely limited by the scope of their selected basic concepts. For example, linear models, which reflect linear causal determinism, are not apt for the interpretation of nonlinear transformations.

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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