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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SYSTEMS THEORY: Historical roots 1)

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In his "Roots and branches" paper (2002, p. 417-428), K. BAUSCH explores the conceptual roots of systems thinking

He distinguishes:

- the 17 C. mechanical model (DESCARTES,NEWTON, LEIBNIZ)

- the 19 C. organic model (SPENCER, MILLER' SUMNER)

- the early 20 C. equilibrium model (PARETO, PARSONS)

- the early 20 C. homeostatic model (CANNON)

- the early and mid 20 C. process model (SIMMEL, MEAD, ALLPORT)

He also describes what he calls "new branches" i.e. the wide variety of more recent models that introduced significant new approaches in systems theory. Among many others he cites:

- HAKEN (Synergetics)

- PRIGOGINE (Dissipative structuration)

- EIGEN (Encapsulated hypercycle)

- CSANYI (Emergence of systems)

- KAUFFMAN (Self- organization)

- HABERMAS (Communication action)

- MATURANA and VARELA (Autopoiesis)

- WARFIELD (Generic design)

- FLOOD and JACKSON (Critical systems thinking)

- BICKERTON (Language and representation)

- LUHMANN (Systemic process)

- BANATHY and CHRISTAKIS (Social systems design)

- CHECKLAND (Soft systems methodology)

- GLEICK (Chaos) (in fact introduced by E. LORENZ)

Other angles have also been explored by Deborah HAMMOND (2002, p. 429-440) and Ch. FRANÇOIS (1999, 2000)

These various essays could become useful inputs for a more integrated and complete history of Systems thinking, still to be written

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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