Reflexive Autopoietic Dissipative Special Systems Theory
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Reflexive Autopoietic Dissipative Special Systems Theory Reflexive Autopoietic Dissipative Special Systems Theory: An Approach to Emergent Meta-systems through Holonomics Kent D. Palmer, Ph.D. P.O. Box 1632 Orange CA 92856 USA 714-633-9508 [email protected] Copyright 2000 K. Palmer. [TXu884397] All Rights Reserved. Not for distribution. Review Copy Only. Unfinished Draft. Version 0.49; 01/19/2000 rastnewY.fm First submitted to IJGS 11/01/95 Latest version at URL http://dialog.net:85/homepage/autopoiesis.html http://server.snni.com:80/~palmer/autopoiesis.html 1 Reflexive Autopoietic Dissipative Special Systems Theory 0. Summary: A newly discovered approach to extending General Systems Theory as defined by George Klir through a set of Special Systems is described. General Systems Theory is distinguished from the theory of Meta-systems. Then, a hinge of three special systems is identified between systems and meta-systems. These special systems are defined by algebraic analogies. Anomalous physical phenomena are specified that exemplify the structures defined by the algebraic analogies. The extraordinary efficacious properties of these special systems are explained. These include ultra-efficiency and ultra-effectiveness. These three special systems are called dissipative, autopoietic, and reflexive. They are anomalous within general systems theory and provide a bridge between the theory of systems and the theory of recursive meta-systems. This extension of Systems Theory allows us to move step by step through a series of emergent levels up to a comprehensive Meta-systems Theory. In that theory the different special systems fit together to produce the inverse of General Systems Theory which is called Emergent Meta-systems Theory. Emergent Meta-systems are composed of the meta-operations which appear at each level of algebraic emergence from the system through the three levels of special systems. Each level can be seen as a meta-operator within the overall structure of the Emergent Meta-system. Together these operations produce a theoretical model of the meta-system. Historical examples of artifacts with the structure of the Emergent Meta-system are pointed out. Four different series of anomalous physical, logical and mathematical structures are related which give different views of the special systems. Besides the series of solitons and the various other physical phenomena that exemplify ultra-efficiency we also look at the series of topological structures of which the mobius strip and kleinian bottles are the best known examples. These other mathematical and physical phenomena which indicate the nature of the special systems elaborate on the structures established through the algebraic analogies. In general we are indicating a new set of anomalous systems that may be used to extend and enrich general systems theory and build a bridge to a complete meta-systems theory. The special systems form the underlying basis of Meta-systems theory because it is through their interaction that they form the Emergent Meta-system. By recognizing this peculiar state of affairs we both found the General Meta-systems Theory and a Holonomics that deals with the Special Systems Theory at the same time. Keywords: Systems Theory, Dissipative Systems, Autopoietic Systems, Reflexive Systems, Recursive Systems, Meta-Systems, Meta-systems Theory, Ontology, Existence, Emergence, Social Phenomenology, Social Theory, Ultra-efficacity, Ultra-effectiveness, Ultra-efficiency, Holonomics, Complexnion, Quaternion, Octonion, Sedenion, Algebra, Hyper-complex Algebras, Soliton, Soliton Breather, Instanaton, Soliton Super-Breather, Super- Conductivity, Bose-Einstein Condensate, Super-Fluidity, Mobius Strip, Kleinian Bottle, Hyper-Kleinian Bottle, Lemniscate, Autogenesis, Computational Sociology, Autopoietic Sociology, Social Construction, Reflexive Sociology, Sociological Theory, Autogenesis, Gaia, Supra-rationality, Paradoxicality, Nihilism, Non-nihilisitic Distinction, Gestalt, Flow, Proto-Gestalt, Proto-Flow, Environment, Context, Situation, Milieu, Propensity, Disposition, Tendency, Field. 2 Reflexive Autopoietic Dissipative Special Systems Theory 1. Introduction This paper will strike many as strange and peculiar because it goes against many of the fundamental presuppositions of the Western scientific approach to phenomena. In fact, it produces a bridge for understanding alternative scientific traditions such as those found in China and Islam and traditional sciences that are considered non-scientific from the narrow perspective of Western philosophy of science like Acupuncture and Homeopathy. In effect a more sophisticated and elegant form of science, that can be seen as an extension of normal Western science, is developed based on the understanding of meta-systems and some very special anomalous systems. The understanding of this extension is timely because it is precisely the misunderstanding of the environment which has led to the global destruction of our planetary environment. It is posited that these alternative scientific traditions and their traditional sciences have a much greater sensitivity to environmental concerns. This extension shows how we can both incorporate those concerns ourselves and extend our Western science to support that understanding and so benefit from the wisdom of traditional sciences developed within other worldviews down through history. Ostensibly this paper is an introduction to the theory of Special Anomalous Systems that are seen to exist when we extend Formal Structural Systems Theory, such as that produced by George Klir, toward the realm of Meta-systems. Thus, it can be seen as developing a theory within the domain of General Systems Theory broadly conceived. However, since Systems Theory touches every discipline that attempts to isolate and describe systems, the presented here theory has very wide and deep implications for most scientific disciplines. Of special interest is the implications for Sociology because the theory is based on a philosophical Social Phenomenology and attempts to extend the biological concept of the autopoietic special system into the social realm. It aims at defining rigorously the social in terms of reflexivity in the tradition of philosophically oriented sociologists such as John O’Malley and Barry Sandywell. However, this extension is based on a previous extension from the physical dissipative special systems developed by Prigogine to the picture of living biological autopoietic special systems developed by Maturana and Varela. The paper proposes a new special systems and meta-systems theoretic basis for understanding and grounding our approach to social phenomena as reflexive1. However, because it ultimately finds that Special Systems Theory describes precisely the Meta-systems, this paper also has much to say about the foundations of ecology and environmentalism and specifically gives us an interesting and new concept of Gaia, the living and cognitive meta-environment. 1. A precursor to this work is that of Arthur M. Young [1976 ]Reflexive Universe. Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence. This be- comes evident if one reads Appendix II of that book on why the number seven is used as a basis of his category schemes. However we offer a very different categorical interpretation of the underlying mathematical basis which he appears to have appreciated before our work.. 3 Reflexive Autopoietic Dissipative Special Systems Theory There are four basic disciplines related to Systems Theory of which three are defined for the first time in this paper. The first discipline is General Systems Theory which we take George Klir’s Architecture of Systems Problem Solving to be the best representative. It is a good generalization of a Formal Structural Systems Theory. From this basis we project General Meta-systems Theory being concerned with systems of systems and we interpret these are environments of systems. Then between these two extremes we posit two other disciplines called Special Systems Theory and Emergent Meta-Systems Theory. Special Systems Theory amounts to the Holonomics as it concerns structures that are both whole and part yet neither precisely whole or part. Emergent Meta-Systems Theory concerns the meta- structures that occur when you combine normal emergent systems with the special systems to produce a dynamic cycling structure called an Emergent Meta-system. The Emergent Meta-system is posited to be the underlying dynamic of Existence beyond Being. Special Systems are posited to be an indication of the infra-structure of the Void. The Meta-Systems Theory includes both of these in an over arching theory of interpenetration of all things which are considered empty existences. This paper projects Meta-Systems as a means of situating Special Systems and then describes Emergent Meta-systems. It then shows how these two intermediate representations allow us to re-comprehend Meta-systems by the use of the new conceptual tools that have been developed. 2. Systems and Meta-systems Instead of looking at systems as objects2 we maintain that they are social gestalts3 and we do not divide them into sub-systems and sub-sub-systems, but instead contrast the systems view that sees the super-system as a social gestalt with a different way of looking at systems called the meta-system approach4. The view of the nested complex super-system is the opposite of the denested and desconstructed Meta-systems view. The Meta-system is the view of a system that occurs when one takes it apart and forms a field of disassembled