systemist

Here is an introduction to what is the principle of requisite variety... do you think that this principle is absolute (i.e. applicable in all situations) ??

Humans can in the end manipulate anything. Since they created it, they have the power to manipulate it. They've manipulate religion for political purposes above all!

God cannot be defined. If he was defined, how would that make him infinite?

Consider this: is evil the root of all politics? If politics is taken as collectively decision making, then, human emotions can add the dimension of 'evil'

yeah. One may notice these vague attributes not only in Nostradamus's predictions but also in daily horoscopes!

Yes. Those individual concepts developed way back. As a holistic subject in itself has been recent. Most spiritual teachings such as Kabbalah and zen reflect concepts of the holistic paradigm (these teaching are 1000+ years old). By new, I mean at a grander level. Systems thinking has never been part of a curriculum but now there are a 50+ departments in major universities not only on mathematical systems, but also in biology, psychology, sociology, political science, chemistry, ecology, businesses etc. The greater focus from the renaissance up-till 1950s was on analysis - more emphasis on detail. I believe that is changing. Your focus seems purely on mathematical side of systems. Mathematics is itself a meta-science - in a sense close to philosophy. Thus, mathematics is as abstract and general systems theory. > A new science at an institutional level. Regardless, if systems is an old science there must be a reason why all the BIG NAMES were from less than 100 years ago. Starting with Wiener. By new, i mean in a relative sense. How old would you say chemistry is; well, alchemy.... P.S. : I did not draw this diagram.

Lisen to yourself, you say Rudolph Kalman introduced control systems in 1958, thats 53 years ago. If thats not new then you must be a dinosaur. My article may have major inconsistencies but synthesis across disciplines is recent. Sorry, won't happen again.

Analysis - the process of separating something into its constituent parts, has been the basis of modern science. Reductionism, as it became known, has been leading breakthroughs in science up-to this day. In 1922, a group of leading philosophers and scientists met at a cafe in Vienna, to discuss the scientific conception of the world. The Vienna Circle, as it became known, proposed the unification of science; these were the stepping stones of Systems Science as we know it today. Analysis was the past, synthesis and holism were the new buzz words. System science, today, is an interdisciplinary field of science that looks at things in a holistic perspective. Still relatively unheard of outside intellectual circles, it has managed to sneak into fields from pure mathematics, sociology and psychology to social sciences, organisational theory and political science. Systems have dominated all fronts, however, it is still a young science. Surprisingly, as we move forward, systems’ principles are proving true in more and more fields. Einstein’s theory of relativity, Bohr’s atomic theory, Cantor’s incompleteness theorem, and countless other discoveries of science in the 21st century have complemented systems. Mathematical logic, the basic concept on which all computer systems are based used system theories for understanding. So, what are systems actually? According to Ervin László, for something to pass as a system it should possess the following characteristics: Wholeness and Order: Ordered Wholeness, is being more than the sum of its parts. If the parts combine and produce no new characteristics then it is not a system but a heap. Order signifies the importance of structure and relationships between the constituent parts. Adaptive Self-Stabilisation: systems contain negative feedback. Any fluctuation in the environment of the system will have impact on the system itself. However, the self-stabilisation mechanism will balance the variables. For example, a rise in temperature and then the subsequent release of sweat from the skin is what is described as adaptive self-stabilisation. Dynamic Equilibrium in any system is maintained by self-stabilisation or negative feedback. Adaptive Self-Organisation: Systems have the quality of restructuring, reorganising, positive feedback or learning. This characteristic claims that evolution is a part of every system. Every time a system’s environment changes it adapts accordingly, just like Darwin’s theory of evolution, where mammals evolve - natural selection, and those who did not became extinct. Hierarchies: Systems have hierarchies. The more higher a constituent part is in the hierarchy the more power it has. And, constituents lower in hierarchy are greater in number but possess less power or control. Thus, this is a science that can be applied in all areas of life; professional or personal, organisational or individual. The discovery of a pending global warming are also attributed to systemic thinking. Known as World Systems Theory, it has become a separate branch in itself. James Lovelock, proposed for the first time the Gaia hypothesis - named after the Greek goddess of earth, Gaia. His book ‘The Revenge of Gaia’ is an interesting read. I would also recommend Fritjof Capra’s ‘A Web Of Life: A New Synthesis Of Mind And Matter’ for history of how system thinking came into being. He also introduces concepts on which systems science is based that can be understood by laymen. A mix of Buddhism and Quantum Physics, spiritual yet scientific, a harmonisation that humanity yearned since the renaissance, it seems the coming age will be the rise of systems on all intellectual platforms. Visit my blog at www.thesystemsblog.com