Re: Umpleby on Cybernetics used in other disciplines [fwd]
(no name) ((no email))
Mon, 23 Jan 1995 12:30:01 -0500
In res[ponse to the various comments on what is cybernetics (today),
it is probably not helpful to get too excited about drawing
boundaries between first & second order cybernetics, nor between
general systems theory and cybernetics, nor dynamic systems theory.
All must use many of the same concepts and principles because
theyt are coherent (connected & logically consistent) with the
rest of science and with the best conjectures about reality.
What is most interesting to me is what of all this offers us
real leverage to steer our world toward enduring happiness for
most people?
Some things stand out such as the assignment of boundaries to
entities based on their informational couplings rather than more
obvious conventional boundaries. (eg. Pask's P-individuals)
Another is being very clear about which emergent level(s) of
communication and control one is mapping information flows at
(in my terms sustenantial/viral/conjugative/liberative/existential)
Requisite variety audits at each of these levels can be very helpful.
In another direction the use of hardware software & telecommunications
tools to filter and to implement both deviation-amplifying, and
deviation limiting control loops is of course one of the most
important leveraging aspects of cybernetics practise today.
Epistemological perspectives can liberate steerspersons from
unnecessarily narrow views of the possibilities open to them, but
without actual communicontrol tools the liberated imagination
is not much help for progress.
In my view our main challenge is the horrendous, attention-time
hogging noise generated by the advertainment market system.It
sweduces us away from all serious pursuits and especially science
education. Good quality attention-time on learning tasks and
learning conversations (Pask, Harri Augstein) is indispensible.
Cybernetic systems theory and digital technology can increase it!
Gary Boyd
boydg@vax2.concordia.ca
.