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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SYSTEM (Homeostatic) 1)2)

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A system that remains static while its elements and environment are dynamic.

This definition is adapted from R.L. ACKOFF, who explains: "Thus a homeostatic system is one that retains its state in a changing environment by internal adjustments. A house that maintains a constant temperature during changing external temperatures is homeostatic. The behavior of its heating subsystem makes this possible" (1972, p.85).

Comparing this concept with W. CANNON's one, it would seem somewhat too narrow.

It could be argued that the homeostatic system is static only "by and large", and this, furthermore in two different senses. First, such a system really oscillates within a more or less narrow band of possible states determined by the unavoidable feedback delays of its controls.

Secondly, concrete systems incur in an ageing process which slowly modifies their general state in an irreversible way.

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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