Lefebvre V. A. (1986) Second order cybernetics in the soviet union and the west. In: Trappl R. (ed.) Power, autonomy, utopia: New approaches toward complex systems. Plenum Press, New York NY: 123–131.
Lefebvre V. A.
(
1986)
Second order cybernetics in the soviet union and the west.
In: Trappl R. (ed.) Power, autonomy, utopia: New approaches toward complex systems. Plenum Press, New York NY: 123–131.
In the early 1960's, cybernetics underwent surprising changes: an investigator studying Universum suddenly turned into the object of investigation. The languages of systems representation and cognitive research procedures themselves became the objects of investigation – just as morphological and functional structures were before. The process of “self – objectification” began independently in the Soviet Union and in the West. This shows that cybernetics develops according to its own immanent logic and independent of current fashions, the individual priorities of particular scientists or cultural stereotypes. On the other hand, the differences between Soviet and Western approaches make it very interesting to compare them. Their integration will allow us to see more clearly the general structure of the set of problems, methods and schemes which is called cybernetics.
Umpleby S. A. (1986) Methods for making social organizations adaptive. In: Trappl R. (ed.) Power, autonomy, utopia. New approaches toward complex systems. Plenum Press, New York: 133–138. https://cepa.info/1850
Umpleby S. A.
(
1986)
Methods for making social organizations adaptive.
In: Trappl R. (ed.) Power, autonomy, utopia. New approaches toward complex systems. Plenum Press, New York: 133–138.
Fulltext at https://cepa.info/1850
In Robert Trappl’s opening remarks on the first day of this conference he raised the issue of the usefulness of the theories that we debate with each other at these conferences every two years. Stafford Beer in his address made a similar point when he suggested that we confront the way things are. I follow their lead by suggesting that we really know quite a lot about how to solve social problems and how to make social organizations more effective. But for some reason we are not using the knowledge we have. Why we do not make better use of our current knowledge is the issue that I would like to explore. My method of exploring will be to investigate the history of ideas in the field of cybernetics and general systems theory.
Varela F. J. (1986) Steps to a Cybernetics of Autonomy. In: Trappl R. (ed.) Power, autonomy, utopia. New approaches toward complex systems. Plenum Press, New York: 117–122. https://cepa.info/1851
Varela F. J.
(
1986)
Steps to a Cybernetics of Autonomy.
In: Trappl R. (ed.) Power, autonomy, utopia. New approaches toward complex systems. Plenum Press, New York: 117–122.
Fulltext at https://cepa.info/1851