Systems Philosophy
Typology
FIVE TYPES OF SYSTEMS PHILOSOPHY
Compiled by chaturvedi mayank:
- Atomism
- Holism
- Emergentism
- Structuralism
- Organicism
1.
"Bunge’s three types of systems philosophies are expanded to five: atomism (the world is an aggregate of elements, without wholes; to be understood by analysis), holism (ultimate reality is a whole without parts, except as illusory manifestations; apprehended intuitively), emergentism (parts exist together and their relations, connections, and organized interaction constitute wholes that continue to depend upon them for their existence and nature; understood first analytically and then synthetically), structuralism (the universe is a whole within which all systems and their processes exist as depending parts; understanding can be aided by creative deduction), and organicism (every existing system has both parts and whole, and is part of a larger whole, etc.; understanding the nature of whole-part polarities is a clue to understanding the nature of systems. How these five types correlated with theories of conceptual systems and methodologies is also sketched."
Source: Five systems concepts of society [1]
2.
"Bunge’s three “concepts of society” exemplify three types of systems philosophy. This article criticizes Bunge’s analysis as minimally inadequate by expanding his range to five concepts of society which exemplify five kinds of systems philosophy: individualism, emergentism, organicism, structuralism, and holism. Emphasis is given to stages in the development of emergentism, including cybernetics (four stages), systems theory (eight stages), and holonism, and then to opposing structuralism (four examples). Organicism as a type of systems philosophy and concept of society is constructed by incorporating the constructive claims of both emergentism and structuralism and by overcoming oppositions to them systematically."
Source: Holons: Three conceptions [2]
3.
"Recent advances in systems theory have required a new term, ‘holon’ (a whole of parts functioning as part of a larger whole). These advances are complicated by differing interpretations provided by three competing kinds of general systems theory: Emergentism, structuralism and organicism. For emergentism, use of the term signifies a shift in emphasis from focusing on the dynamic equilibrium between a whole and its parts to that between the whole and the larger whole of which it is a part. For structuralism, the term serves in explaining subsystem adaptation to environmental and hierarchical constraints and determinations by invariant principles. By incorporating ideas from both emergentism and structuralism into its more intricate interpretations, the author claims that organicism presents a more adequate conception of the nature of holons—now regarded as essential to general systems thinking."
Source: Comparing civilizations as systems
4.
"Comparison of Western, Indian and Chinese civilizations as cultural systems exhibiting persisting ideals constituting important structural differences reveals that two taproots of Western civilization (the Hebraic stressing will and the Greek stressing reason) as characteristics essential to the nature of the world and man, are opposed in Hindu culture idealizing Nirguna Brahman as complete absence of both will (desire) and reason (distinctions) and yogic endeavor designed to eliminate both from persons, are partially integrated as complementary opposites in Chinese taoistic yin-yang ideals about both the universe and man. Opportunities for further research comparing cultural systems seem unlimited."
Source: Systemism: the alternative to individualism and holism
More information
* Book: Introduction to Systems Philosophy. Erwin Laszlo, 1972
"First Published in 1972, Introduction to Systems Philosophy presents Ervin Laszlo’s first comprehensive volume on the subject. It argues for a systematic and constructive inquiry into natural phenomenon on the assumption of general order in nature. Laszlo says systems philosophy reintegrates the concept of enduring universals with transient processes within a non-bifurcated, hierarchically differentiated realm of invariant systems, as the ultimate actualities of self-structuring nature. He brings themes like the promise of systems philosophy; theory of natural systems; empirical interpretations of physical, biological, and social systems; frameworks for philosophy of mind, philosophy of nature, ontology, epistemology, metaphysics and normative ethics, to showcase the timeliness and necessity of a return from analytic to synthetic philosophy. This book is an essential read for any scholar and researcher of philosophy, philosophy of science and systems theory."
(https://chaturvedimayank.wordpress.com/tag/boundaries/)
* Article: Systems Philosophy: An Integral Theory of Everything? By Manel Pretel-Wilson, August 2017
"Following the footsteps of systems science during the last 60 years, a new philosophy has emerged that aims to explain every territory of the universe by means of a grand theory of evolution (Laszlo 1972, 1987, 2004; Wilber 1995). This conception of philosophy can be traced back to Whitehead’s (1929) method of constructing a “philosophic generalization” from the findings of science. But now that science has become independent from philosophy, can philosophy claim back the territory of science? In particular, is philosophy an integral theory of everything? On the contrary, I’m going to argue that systems philosophy doesn’t depend on science since it is based on a different territory, type of question, method of discovery and type of explanation. In particular, systems philosophy is not an evolutionary expansionism constructed out of the findings of systems science at all, but out of its own philosophical findings in the form of a world-hypothesis."