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 (Heuristic) 1)2)4)

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A system that can formulate its own goals and objectives (Adapted from B. BANATHY, 1988, p.29).

Only human systems are heuristic.

BANATHY describes them as "…complex and systemic in their functional and structural arrangements and… open to, and coevolving with their environments.

"Overall policy is set for heuristic systems; and within their policy framework goals, objectives, ways and means, and methods of operation are self-selected.

"Significant relational changes and some structural changes may occur through time. State changes are evolutionary and are directed by design. Emergence, ambiguity and uncertainty surround state changes.

"Methods in general are built upon cybernetics and general systems theory, and systems based organizational theories. Applicable methods include living systems process analysis, systems design, soft-systems methods of analysis and management, double- loop organizational learning and consensus building" (Ibid).

Furthermore, heuristic systems:"… have to learn to cope with the explosive increase of relevant knowledge, environmental complexity and turbulence. Furthermore, the changes faced… increase as to their intensity, variety and dimensionality" (Ibid, p.31).

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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