Detailed Programme of the Overall 2014 Meetings

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Detailed Programme of the Overall 2014 Meetings Programme and Schedule Tuesday: April 22, 2014 Registration Desk Open 8:00 – 16:00 and 17:30 – 18:00 Lobby, Department for Communication Studies, University of Vienna, Währingerstrasse 29 8:00 Early Registration Lobby 9:00 – 10:30 Plenary Session Lecture Hall Opening and Welcome by Chair and Co-Chairs Wolfgang Hofkirchner, on behalf of the Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science – EMCSR Chair Iryna Dobronravova, on behalf of the Ukrainian Synergetic Society 9:00 Andrée Piecq, on behalf of the Union Européenne de Systémique Markus Schwaninger, on behalf of the World Organisation of Systems and Cybernetics Robert Trappl, on behalf of the International Academy for Systems and Cybernetic Sciences Jennifer Wilby, on behalf of the International Society for the Systems Sciences Rainer E. Zimmermann, on behalf of the Institut für Design Science München Greetings Gerhard Banse, on behalf of the Leibniz-Sozietät der Wissenschaften zu Berlin e.V., Germany Opening and Welcome David Rousseau, Centre for Systems Philosophy, Surrey, United Kingdom – Systema Editor-in-Chief 9:45 Stefan Blachfellner, Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science, Austria – EMCSR Conference Management, International Federation for Systems Research, Austria – Vice President Opening Address: The Baconian Project of Science and the Crisis of "Salomon's House" 10:00 Hans Schelkshorn, Department of Christian Philosophy, University of Vienna, Austria 10:30 – 11:00 Late Registration & Coffee break Lobby 1 11:00 – 12:30 Plenary Session Lecture Hall Keynote: The need for both specialists and generalists 11:00 Mario Bunge, Department of Philosophy, McGill University, Montreal, Canada Award Ceremony: The Ludwig von Bertalanffy Award in Complexity Thinking 12:00 Laudatio by Rainer E. Zimmermann, Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science, Austria 12:30 – 14:00 Lunch break Restaurants, café, or shops around the conference venue – see map Theme Chairs Presentations – Introductions to the Conference Themes and Process Theme I Chair – Systemic Un-Sustainability - Whatever does not work, doesn't for good reasons André Martinuzzi, Institute for Managing Sustainability, Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU), Vienna, Austria 14:00 – 15:30 Theme II Chair – Introduction to Emergence and Design Markus Peschl, University of Vienna, Austria and Stefan Blachfellner, Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science, Vienna, Austria Theme III Chair – Introduction to Complexity and Strategy Gary Metcalf, International Federation for Systems Research, Saybrook University, San Francisco, USA 15:30 – 16:00 Coffee break Lobby 2 16:00 – 17:30 Symposia & Colloquium Lecture Hall Seminar Room 5 Seminar Room 3 Seminar Room 4 Demonstration: Systemic Symposium on Concepts Symposium on Bridges PhD Colloquium (1) Excellence Group Theme II.C.1 Theme III.B Bertalanffy and beyond: Professional systemics (1) improving systemics for a better future (1) Louis Klein, Christian Weiland: David Rousseau: Nikitas Assimakopoulos, Katri-Liisa Pulkkinen: In search of a praxeology of applied Foundations and a framework for Alexandros Miaris: A bottom-up way of building a research: the radical learning future waves of systemic inquiry Viable process systemic multi- system and changing perceptions: journey of SEGROUP methodology: VIPROCE urban pioneers as a model for Yagmur Denizhan: transformation for sustainability Towards a mediation-based Patricia Bertin: engineering Dynamics of agricultural knowledge Michael Braito, Marianne Penker, production: learning from a systems Andreas Muhar, Courtney Flint, thinking perspective Marianne Penker, Flint: Governance of environmentally Janos Korn: friendly energy behaviour and its Fundamentals and implications of (intended) effects systems science Edmond Ramly: A functional model of evaluation for a global learning health system 17:30 – 18:00 Coffee break Lobby 3 18:00 – 19:30 Symposia & Colloquium Lecture Hall Seminar Room 5 Seminar Room 3 Seminar Room 4 Symposium on Applications Symposium on Concepts Symposium on Bridges PhD Colloquium (2) Theme III.A.1 Theme II.C.1 Theme III.B Systemic consulting Bertalanffy and beyond: Professional systemics (2) improving systemics for a better future (2) Marko Bohanec, Ricardo Manfred Drack, David Pouvreau: Stergiani Giannakou, Nikitas Andreas Hieronymi: Rodriguez-Ulloa: General system theory and Assimakopoulos, Dimitrios The structure of complex situations: An intelligent decisions room for cybernetics: differences and Varsos: multidimensional concepts and dealing with strategic management commonalities A systemic approach towards green visual representations complexity: combining soft systems pharmaceutical manufacturing in methodology (SSM) with expert Jennifer Wilby: order to minimize the impact of Duygu Uygun Tunc: systems (ES) in a Peruvian Boulding’s social science gravimeter: pharmaceutical production on the A new ground for analogy: an experience can hierarchical systems theory environmental contamination. epistemo-ontological study of contribute to its development? systemic principles Allenna Leonard: Lundy Lewis: The proprioceptive organization Julie Rousseau: Professional systemics applied to Vahid Moosavi: GST as a route to new systemics the development of social skills in Beyond rational modeling children with autism spectrum disorder: a case study Aristea Sinanioti: Personal data protection in the electronic communications sector 19:30 – 20:00 Coffee break Lobby 4 20:00 – 21:30 Symposia & Colloquium Lecture Hall Seminar Room 5 Seminar Room 3 Seminar Room 4 Symposium on Applications Symposium on Concepts Symposium on Bridges PhD Colloquium (3) Theme III.A.2 Theme II.C.1 Theme III.B Systemic project management (1) Bertalanffy and beyond: Professional systemics (3) improving systemics for a better future (3) Louis Klein: KingKong Lin: Nikitas Assimakopoulos, General Roundtable Discussion Open Floor with no Scheduled Consiliencing the holos ∞ model for Dimitrios Varsos: with all Applicants (60 minutes) Presentations holos civilizations on a thrivable Developing the dynamic layer within the design and control systemic Conference Summary planet methodology: DCSYM-2 Final Session with Judges Panayiotis Vlassis, Michaela Oleksandr Makarenko: Theiler: Towards system analysis and Energiaproject case study: how far modeling of global sustainable can innovation be pushed in the real development market? 5 Wednesday: April 23, 2014 Registration Desk Open 8:00 – 12:00 and 15:30 – 16:00 and 17:30 – 18:00 8:00 Registration Lobby 09:00 – 10:30 Symposia & Colloquium Seminar Room 5 Seminar Room 3 Seminar Room 4 Seminar Room 2 Theme Speeches Symposium on Applications Symposium on Concepts Symposium on Applications (I – III) Theme I.A.1 Theme III.C.1 Theme III.A.2 Disasters: prevention, Unity through diversity: Systemic project management preparation and response (1) learning in a complex world (1) (2) Theme I: Marianne Penker Gerhard Chroust, Georg Valentin Fiala, Rebecca Louis Klein: Systems knowledge and beyond – contributions Aumayr: Process models for Paxton, Jonas Oswald: Social complexity in PM revisited of research to sustainable development disaster management: The missing link: can Zombies standardization and assessment as a meataphor bridge the gap Jifa Gu: Theme II: Pierre Bricage between Agent Based Modelling Some complexity problems in Associations for the reciprocal and mutual Gilles Legrand: and qualitative social science? Shanghai World Expo in 2010 sharing of advantages and disadvantages Overmind territorial resistance (ARMSADA) Cecile Malaspina: Claudia Weninger: Christoph Sebald, Georg Anxious knowing: the severing of Systemic methods for Theme III a: Yagmur Denizhan Neubauer, Sonja Kabicher- information from noise sustainable project Performance-based control of learning agents: Fuchs, Christian Flachberger, management: a case study Self-fulfilling reductionism Hilda Tellioğlu: MingFen Li: The RE-ACTA crowdtasking Wicked social systems Theme III b: Elohim Jiménez-López platform: for crisis and disaster reorganized by benevolent social Thinking against dehumanising civilisation and management in Austria behaviors for the creation of a new systemics 6 10:30 – 11:00 Coffee break Lobby 11:00 – 12:30 Symposia & Colloquium Seminar Room 5 Seminar Room 3 Seminar Room 4 Seminar Room 2 Demonstration Symposium on Applications Symposium on Concepts Symposium on Applications World Evolutionary Learning Tribe Theme I.A.1 Theme III.C.1 Theme III.A.2 Disasters: prevention, preparation Unity through diversity: learning Systemic project management (3) and response (2) in a complex world (2) Alexander Laszlo, Valeria Viveca Asproth: Marcelo Leon: Ursula Kopp, André Martinuzzi: Delgado: Improving preparation for disaster The interdisciplinary approach in the Systemic project evaluation The WELtribe project prospects, management by reflecting on social and economic configuration of plans and promise communication patterns the Ecuadorian model Christian Majer: The performance oriented Manfred Fullsack: Asimina Koukou: organization: theory in action Resilience and graceful degradation The emergence of an EPS in times in cooperation networks: of crisis experiments with simulated public goods games Henry Ortiz Osorio: CYBERSYN project: an object of learning for the future 12:30 – 14:00 Lunch break Restaurants, café, or shops around the conference venue – see map 7 14:00 – 15:30 Symposia & Colloquium Seminar Room 5 Seminar Room 3 Seminar Room 4 Seminar Room 2 Symposium on Applications Symposium on Applications
Recommended publications
  • Systemic View of Parts of the World
    50th Annual Meeting of the International Society for the Systems Sciences 2006 (ISSS 2006) Rohnert Park, California, USA 9-14 July 2006 Volume 1 of 2 Editors: Jennifer Wilby Janet K. Allen Cecilia Loureiro-Koechlin ISBN: 978-1-62276-755-7 Printed from e-media with permission by: Curran Associates, Inc. 57 Morehouse Lane Red Hook, NY 12571 Some format issues inherent in the e-media version may also appear in this print version. Copyright© (2006) by the International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS) All rights reserved. Printed by Curran Associates, Inc. (2013) For permission requests, please contact the International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS) at the address below. International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS) 47 Southfield Road Pocklington, York YO42 2XE, United Kingdom Phone/Fax: +44 (0)1759 302718 [email protected] Additional copies of this publication are available from: Curran Associates, Inc. 57 Morehouse Lane Red Hook, NY 12571 USA Phone: 845-758-0400 Fax: 845-758-2634 Email: [email protected] Web: www.proceedings.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Volume 1 Systemic View of Parts of the World....................................................................................................................................1 Korn, Janos Mindful Knowing................................................................................................................................................................. 26 Fielden, Kay Fostering a Sustainable Learning Society through Knowledge Based Development ....................................................
    [Show full text]
  • BCSSS Jahresbericht 2016
    ! ! Bertalanffy*Center*for*the*Study*of*Systems*Science* Paulanergasse!13/5! 1040!Wien! Austria! ! ! Jahresbericht*2016** Ausblick* ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! bcsss.org**|** [email protected]* Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science Rechenschaftsbericht 2016 einschließlich Ausblick A Tätigkeitsbericht 1 Forschung 2 Veranstaltungen und Vernetzung 3 Veröffentlichungen 4 Organisationsentwicklung B Ausblick C Executive Summary D Bilanz www.bcsss.org | [email protected] | ZVR 439685824 Seite 1 von 26 A Tätigkeitsbericht 1 Forschung 1.1 Preise, StipenDien unD Förderung von Nachwuchswissenschaftlerinnen LuDwig von Bertalanffy Young Scientist Award Im Zuge Der Neugestaltung der European Meetings on Cybernetics anD Systems Research, emcsr avantgarde 2016, erscheint auch der LuDwig von Bertalanffy Young Scientist Award seit 2016 in einem neuen Format. Der Preis geht an ForscherInnen aus den Disziplinen Wissenschaft, Technik, Ökonomie, Ökologie, Philosophie, Design unD Kunst mit Dem in Bezug auf Bertalanffy’s Prinzip „Unity through Diversity“ vielversprechenDsten unD aussichtsreichsten Beitrag. Das BCSSS sucht nach Konzepten unD AnwenDungen mit dem Potenzial für die gemeinsame Gestaltung eines prosperierenden Planeten, sinnvoller Technologien unD einer zukunftsfähigen Menschheit. Gewinner Des LuDwig von Bertalanffy Young Scientist Award 2016 war Daniel Dick mit seinem Beitrag „Overcoming Misunderstandings between Cultural and Scientific Systems of Knowledge“. Dick ist MA Absolvent am Institut für Kultur- unD Sozialanthropologie der Universität Wien unD MitbegrünDer Der Akademie für Bewusstseinsforschung. Seine Forschungsarbeit konzentriert sich auf die ThemenfelDer Religion, Philosophy of Science, Ideology, Ritual Studies, Cultural Evolution, Cultural Ecology unD Consciousness Studies. Den 2. Platz erhielt Dr. AlexanDre Strapasson mit seinem Beitrag „Land Use Futures in Europe. How changes in diet, agricultural practices and forestlands could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions“.
    [Show full text]
  • The Science of the Unknowable: Stafford Beer's Cybernetic Informatics
    The Science of the Unknowable: Stafford Beer’s Cybernetic Informatics Andrew Pickering University of Illinois Department of Sociology Urbana, IL 61801 [email protected] Cybernetics and New Ontologies: An interview session with Andrew Pickering Kristian Hvidtfelt Nielsen [email protected] The Steno Institute University of Aarhus Working Papers from Centre for STS Studies Department of Information & Media Studies University of Aarhus Published by The Centre for STS Studies, Aarhus 2006. Editorial board: Peter Lauritsen, Simon Kiilerich Madsen, Finn Olesen. Andrew Pickering: The Science of the Unknowable: Stafford Beer’s Cybernetic Informatics Kristian Hvidtfelt Nielsen: Cybernetics and New Ontologies: An interview session with Andrew Pickering © The authors, 2006. Printed at Fællestrykkeriet for Sundhedsvidenskab, University of Aarhus. Cover design: Annette Bjerre Design. ISBN 9788791386121 (print) ISBN 9788791386138 (web) The Centre for STS Studies Department of Information & Media Studies Helsingforsgade 14 DK-8200 Aarhus N Tel: +45 8942 9200 Fax: +45 8942 5950 [email protected] http://imv.au.dk/sts The Science of the Unknowable: Stafford Beer’s Cybernetic Informatics Andrew Pickering University of Illinois Department of Sociology [email protected] This essay derives from a larger project exploring the history of cybernetics in Britain in and after World War II.1 The project focusses on the work of four British cyberneticians—Grey Walter, Ross Ashby, Stafford Beer and Gordon Pask; here I focus on Stafford Beer, the founder of the field he called management cybernetics, and his work in informatics.2 Anthony Stafford Beer was born in London in 1926. He joined the British Army in 1944 after just one year as an undergraduate in London, and served in India and Britain.
    [Show full text]
  • Towards a New Foundation for Systems Practice: Grounding Multi-Method Systemic Interventions
    UNIVERSITY OF HULL Towards a New Foundation for Systems Practice: Grounding Multi-Method Systemic Interventions being a Thesis submitted for the Degree of PhD in the University of Hull by Manuel Pretel-Wilson (BBus, BA, MA, MS) May 15, 2017 “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes” Marcel Proust In Memory of Àngel Ros Bosch (1961-2001) For developing my capacity to question And constantly learn about reality I was truly honoured Thank you! Acknowledgements First, I want to thank Gerald Midgley for giving me the opportunity to deliver a seminar at the Centre of Systems Studies in HUBS. I never expected that a random email after having read his great book, Systemic Intervention: Philosophy, Methodology, and Practice (2000), would take me to England, and even less to start a PhD in Systems Science. I’m also grateful because he encouraged me to write a paper that I presented at the ISSS 2014 Conference, in Washington DC, on what I thought at the time was General System Theory (GST) but turned out to be Systems Philosophy, and especially for suggesting me, at a time when I nearly gave up the whole endeavour, a possible route to continue my thesis that turned out to be the right one after all. Indeed, Gerald triggered the crucial turning point that made this PhD worthwhile. Thanks for your precious encouragement; otherwise this thesis would have never seen the light. My thanks go to Angela Espinosa and Joan Walker for having introduced me to the practice of systemic interventions, without which I would never have witnessed the powerful potential of systems methodologies.
    [Show full text]
  • Edited by Allenna Leonard EFLECTIONS on the FESTIVAL
    AM ERICAN SO CIETY FOR CYBERNETICS Number 3 NEWSLETTER Edited by Allenna Leonard August 1980 EFLECTIONS ON THE FESTIVAL By Shelly Clemson AFTERTHOUGHTS - EDITORIAL COMMENT By Roger Conant Participants in the First Annual Cybernetics estival at Sunset, Maine basked in sunshine, We will not convince the world tha t we have omaraderie, and participative labor for two anything worthwhi le to offer as a group/disci­ ovely days. Roger and Shirley Conant, hosts pline, if we cannot apply our understandings tc f the "happening", survived the brief trans­ ourselves. Do we understand self-organization! ormation of their summer homestead into a Then we should be able to bootstrap and self­ onference center. ASC folk from Washington, D.C. organize into a li:vely society. Do we under­ aryland, Virginia, Orono, ME., Chicago (Conant's stand circular causality? Then we should be Lnter home), New Hampshire (Larry Heilprin's able to apply positive feedback to our own op­ nmner home), Boston and Jakarta, Indonesia erations. Do we understand control and commun­ ~arry Clemson's parents) gave the meeting a ications? Then we need to modify the design of Lobal perspective. our own existing channels of communications anc Despite the overall mood of casual raillery, develop new ones to enhance both our internal ~ighty issues were the order of the day. Basic interactions and those wh;ich we have with the ;sumptions, such as the proper role of profess­ external environment. Tf we fail we shall not >nal societies, the unique mission of ASC, and only be an organizational flop, we shall as te desirability and rate of membership expansion practitioners have given a'l!lple evidence that !re on the agenda.
    [Show full text]
  • EMERGY SYNTHESIS 5: Theory and Applications of the Emergy Methodology
    EMERGY SYNTHESIS 5: Theory and Applications of the Emergy Methodology Proceedings from the Fifth Biennial Emergy Conference, Gainesville, Florida Edited by Mark T. Brown University of Florida Gainesville, Florida Managing Editor Sharlynn Sweeney University of Florida Gainesville, Florida Associate Editors Daniel E. Campbell US EPA Narragansett, Rhode Island Shu-Li Huang National Taipei University Taipei, Taiwan Enrique Ortega State University of Campinas Campinas, Brazil Torbjorn Rydberg Centre for Sustainable Agriculture Uppsala, Sweden David Tilley University of Maryland College Park, Maryland Sergio Ulgiati Parthenope University of Napoli Napoli, Italy December 2009 The Center for Environmental Policy Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences University of Florida Gainesville, FL ii 39 A Call to Empower Gaia William Perk and Cornelius Crane ABSTRACT Nature doesn’t use dollars; we need a cosmic accounting system… R. Buckminster Fuller Since the seminal “emergy methodology” of the late H. T. Odum and colleagues essentially meets what Bucky Fuller was insisting is needed, the current issue we intend to address is, “how do we get humanity to accept this “cosmic accounting?” Obviously, participants in this event are prime candidates to help bring this about. We suggest putting the parlous state of our planet, Gaia, at the top of the list of urgent reasons for such a transformed accounting system. Then we propose to use Bucky’s insistence on “new forming, not reforming” to focus on the recapture of the “commons”—by creating appropriate “Trusts” for that purpose—which will utilize emergy and emdollars throughout its activities in behalf of the “commons”. And guiding the activities of such Trusts will be the Fuller Challenge: “To make the world work for 100% of humanity in the shortest possible time through spontaneous cooperation without ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone.” Finally, effective organization of such Trusts will be ensured by the seminal cybernetic management strategies and praxis of the late great Stafford Beer.
    [Show full text]
  • The Cybernetic Brain
    THE CYBERNETIC BRAIN THE CYBERNETIC BRAIN SKETCHES OF ANOTHER FUTURE Andrew Pickering THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS CHICAGO AND LONDON ANDREW PICKERING IS PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER. HIS BOOKS INCLUDE CONSTRUCTING QUARKS: A SO- CIOLOGICAL HISTORY OF PARTICLE PHYSICS, THE MANGLE OF PRACTICE: TIME, AGENCY, AND SCIENCE, AND SCIENCE AS PRACTICE AND CULTURE, A L L PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS, AND THE MANGLE IN PRAC- TICE: SCIENCE, SOCIETY, AND BECOMING (COEDITED WITH KEITH GUZIK). THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS, CHICAGO 60637 THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS, LTD., LONDON © 2010 BY THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PUBLISHED 2010 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 1 2 3 4 5 ISBN-13: 978-0-226-66789-8 (CLOTH) ISBN-10: 0-226-66789-8 (CLOTH) Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Pickering, Andrew. The cybernetic brain : sketches of another future / Andrew Pickering. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-226-66789-8 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-226-66789-8 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Cybernetics. 2. Cybernetics—History. 3. Brain. 4. Self-organizing systems. I. Title. Q310.P53 2010 003’.5—dc22 2009023367 a THE PAPER USED IN THIS PUBLICATION MEETS THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF THE AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARD FOR INFORMATION SCIENCES—PERMA- NENCE OF PAPER FOR PRINTED LIBRARY MATERIALS, ANSI Z39.48-1992. DEDICATION For Jane F. CONTENTS Acknowledgments / ix 1. The Adaptive Brain / 1 2. Ontological Theater / 17 PART 1: PSYCHIATRY TO CYBERNETICS 3.
    [Show full text]
  • The Coherent Architecture of Team Syntegrity ® : From
    THE COHERENT ARCHITECTURE OF TEAM SYNTEGRITY®: FROM SMALL TO MEGA FORMS Truss, J., Cullen, C. and Leonard, A. Team Syntegrity Inc. (TSI), 150 Yonge Blvd, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA M5M 3H4 E-mail: [email protected] Professor Stafford Beer’s book Beyond Dispute: The Invention of Team Syntegrity, (Wiley 1994) describes the invention of a group methodology for dealing with complex issues. Beer applied principles of managerial cybernetics to work out how to achieve high levels of ‘syzygy’ (cooperation and commitment) in groups that are large enough to satisfy issues of requisite variety, and small enough to accomplish something. The result is Syntegration®, a collaborative group process for thirty people that takes five days. In 1992, Team Syntegrity Inc. (TSI) was founded to find viable markets for Syntegration, and to continue the development of the methodology together with Beer. Delving deeply into the underlying geometry of the icosahedron, Joe Truss led the development of a suite of applications of the TS method that remove the constraints of thirty people and five days. Truss showed how the TS method could be used for groups of virtually any size, in sessions lasting from one to many days, without compromising the mathematical integrity of the technique. This paper describes the development of the TS protocols since Beer invented Syntegration and explains how the application of TS architecture and protocols can support viable, connected, self-organizing and truly empowered groups and learning communities. Keywords Syntegration, Management, Cybernetics, Community, Collaboration INTRODUCING TEAM SYNTEGRITY Since 1992, TSI and its growing international network of licensees and practitioners have delivered well over 100 Syntegration® events in many contexts, countries and languages, building on the early experiments and theoretical bases reported by Beer in Beyond Dispute: The Invention of Team Syntegrity (Beer, 1994).
    [Show full text]
  • Stafford Beer's Cybernetic Informatics
    The Science of the Unknowable: Stafford Beer’s Cybernetic Informatics I 29 The Science of the Unknowable: Stafford Beer’s Cybernetic Informatics Andrew Pickering I Abstract tive on information science and information systems, This essay explores the history of Stafford Beer’s work in man- intended to bring out the singularity of the cybernetic agement cybernetics, from his early conception and simulation approach. of an adaptive automatic factory and associated experimenta- From the 1950s on Beer was a remorseless critic of tion in biological computing up to his development of the the ways in which computers were being deployed in Viable System Model of complex organizations and its imple- mentation in Chile. The essay also briefly pursues Beer into the industry, essentially to replace existing paper systems. arenas of politics and spirituality. The aim throughout is to show He felt that this did nothing to change existing organi- that all Beer’s projects can be understood as specific instantiations zational forms and that something more imaginative was and workings out of a cybernetic ontology of unknowability and required. His argument was that the postwar world was becoming: a stance that recognizes that the world can always a new kind of world. Specifically the pace of change had surprise us and that we can never dominate it through knowl- increased markedly since the war, and the important edge. The thrust of Beer’s work was thus to construct informa- tion systems that can adapt performatively
    [Show full text]
  • Enacting Research Methods in Information Systems: Volume 1
    Enacting Research Methods in Information Systems: Volume 1 Edited by Leslie P. Willcocks, Chris Sauer and Mary C. Lacity Enacting Research Methods in Information Systems: Volume 1 This page intentionally left blank Enacting Research Methods in Information Systems: Volume 1 Edited by Leslie P. Willcocks London School of Economics and Political Science, UK Chris Sauer Oxford University, UK and Mary C. Lacity University of Missouri-St Louis, USA Editors Leslie P. Willcocks Chris Sauer London School of Economics and Oxford University Political Science, London, UK Oxford, UK Mary C. Lacity University of Missouri-St Louis St Louis, Missouri, USA ISBN 978-3-319-29265-6 ISBN 978-3-319-29266-3 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-29266-3 © Association for Information Technology Trust 2016 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2016 978-3-319-29265-6 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Download
    PHILOSOPHICAL CONDITIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE OUTCOMES TO COMPLEX SYSTEMIC INTERVENTIONS David Rousseau PhD 1,2,3,* 1 Centre for Systems Philosophy, Surrey, United Kingdom 2 Centre for Systems Studies, Hull University Business School, Hull, East Yorkshire, UK 3 School of Theology, Religious Studies and Islamic Studies, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Lampeter, Ceredigion, UK * Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT Consideration of Alexander Laszlo’s inspiring vision for a sustainable thriving eco-civilization shows that it is grounded in three important assumptions. These may seem unremarkable at first sight but an analysis of their implications reveals that they commit us to positions that are deeply problematic in the academy. The systems movement will have to help find ways to resolve these issues as a prerequisite for attaining the presented vision. In my view this can be done, and in my presentation I will show what these problems are and how we might approach helping to resolve them. Alexander Laszlo’s three assumptions are that (1) a sustainable thriving eco-civilization is possible, (2) we can bring it about, and (3) it is important that we bring it about. I will show that these three assumptions confront us with three problems the systems movement has struggled with since its inception: (a) the disunity of knowledge and fragmentation of worldviews, (b) the semantic divergence between different disciplines, and (c) the absence of scientific support for non-constructivist theories about values. In situations characterised by complexity and value conflicts these problems subvert collaborative solution design, impede efficient execution of interventions, and undermine broad adoption of the solution features.
    [Show full text]
  • Abstracts of Plenaries WOSC 2014
    Our self-organising world: from disruption to reparation Systems and cybernetics applied to technology, design, governance and power Keynote Abstracts and Congress Schedule Dear All, WOSC 2014 will offer both strong foci on systemic thinking and on structures for effective policy processes. It is more than 40 years since Fernando Flores invited Stafford Beer to work with the Chilean Government in the implementation of a democratic socialist economy. Beer created Project Cybersyn in the context of Allende’s Chile. In addition to introducing his work to a young generation of local scientists and professionals he made of Norbert Weiner and Ross Ashby familiar names. In parallel to Beer’s work Humberto Maturana was working from the Universidad de Chile, in collaboration with Francisco Varela, the theory of autopoiesis. Heinz von Foerster, father of second order cybernetics, joined them during part of this period. These are all names shaping the contributions to WOSC 2014. Beer’s vision of the early 1970s, particularly his vision of an economy in real-time, has grown in maturity, not only through the extraordinary technological developments of the past four decades but also through the increasing relevance of cybernetics as an applied epistemology to governance. Together with the extraordinary potentials of digital technology in real-time, the epistemologies of systemic embodiment, ecological networks, organisational closure, self-organisation offer new insights and avenues to deal with the driving topic of this Congress: “Our Self- organising World: from disruption to reparation”. This narrative is offered by the following contributions of our keynote speakers. Abstracts for Plenaries 1. Fernando Flores An Encounter with Cybernetics in the Chile of the 1970's: A personal story In the Chile of the early 1970's I had the opportunity to work with Stafford Beer in the Cybersyn project.
    [Show full text]