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 (Purpose seeking) 1)4)

B. BANATHY describe this type of systems "… as complex, ideal-seeking systems guided by images of the future that they shape themselves". Of course, ideal-seeking systems should not be confused with ideologically constructed ones (but may be sometimes in serious danger to be).

BANATHY states: "They are both open and adaptive to the environment and are shapers of the environment. They are pluralist and thus able to seek and explore new purposes. They are systemic in their arrangements and behavior. They exhibit such qualities as emergence, self-transcendence, and a tendency for cooperation and even integration with other systems and reorganization at a higher level of complexity" (1988, p.30).

As to their degree of self-direction: "Policies are formulated based on images of the future that people in the system shape collectively. There is constant search for new purposes; new niches in the environment that the system can carve out, shape, or incorporate".

As to their structure/relational state: "Significant structural changes may occur through time. State changes may be independent of prior states. Discontinuity and reorganization at higher levels of complexity are expected to happen, directed by purposeful design. Ambiguity and uncertainty are used creatively" (Ibid).

Some of the examples given by BANATHY are: "… seeking and designing new institutional roles for the private and public sector; seeking society renewal through the design of integrative community systems, the design of alternative educational systems,… peace development and alternative security systems" (Ibid).

This type of systems closely corresponds to JANTSCH's "purposeful systems" (1975).

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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