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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.

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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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THEORY OF TYPES 3)

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A logical theory that prohibes self-membership in sets (i.e. no class can contain itself as a member), or more generally logical self-reference in meaning systems, in order to avoid paradoxes.

The Theory of Types was elaborated by B. RUSSELL and A.N. WHITEHEAD in their "Principia Mathematica" (1925).

It introduced within the classical dichotomy "true – false" the meaninglessness escape, saving formerly unsolvable logical tangles.

K. KRIPPENDORFF however observes: "… by exorcising self-reference, the theory of logical types has retarded the development of theory, largely cognitive theory, in areas where selfreference is prevalent. With its focus on circularity, cybernetics has transcended the theory and essentially solved the problems self-reference originally posed" (1986, p.75).

This seems right only for the specific viewpoint of second-order cybernetics, as proposed by H.von FOERSTER.

From this angle, R. HOWE and H.von FOERSTER thus state the fundamental point of theory of types: "The properties of the observer shall not enter into the description of his observations" (1975). With this proviso, Epiminedes, who is a Cretan, has no logical right to make any statement on the Cretans that may include himself, as a source of internal contradiction. (as for example, saying that all Cretans are liars).

However, from the viewpoint of autopoiesis, no observer finds him/herself in a position to totally separate him/herself of the observed reality, because any external stimulus entering him/her is perceived in accordance with his/her internal organization.

This is not to deny the theory of types, but, on the contrary, shows the absolute necessity to learn to relativize the conclusions that we obtain from our observations of reality.

Theory of types is clearly related to GÖDEL's Incompleteness Theorem, as well as to BATESON's double bind.

→ Logical types (Theory of)

Categories

  • 1) General information
  • 2) Methodology or model
  • 3) Epistemology, ontology and semantics
  • 4) Human sciences
  • 5) Discipline oriented

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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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