Systemics

Systemics or systems theory (French systémique, German allgemeine Systemtheorie) or general systems science. Types of systems and systems as a whole are studied. Systems theory or systemics was founded by Ludwig von Bertalanffy between 1940-1970 on principles from physics, biology and engineering and strengthened by philosophy, sociology and economics .

Systemics focuses on complexity and interdependance. It is about everything we face in the world, hence the matter can get rather philosophical. In recent times Complexity theory has increasingly been used as a synonym.

Systemics is a humanistic mirror of nature sciences. More on the applied side, System dynamics is a method for understanding the dynamic behavior of complex systems. The basis of the method is the recognition that the structure of any system -- the many circular, interlocking, sometimes time-delayed relationships among its components -- is often just as important in determining its behavior as the individual components themselves. Examples are chaos theory and social dynamics.

Cybernetics is a related field, sometimes considered as a part of systemics.

References:

• Durand, Daniel La systémique, Presses Universitaires de France, 1979
• Bertalanffy, Ludwig von (1968). General System Theory: Foundations, Development, Applications. New York: George Braziller

See also:

• Buckminster Fuller
• Cybernetics
• system
• Systems theory in Archaeology

External Links

• Principia Cybernetica Web (http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/DEFAULT.html)
• International Society for the System Sciences (http://www.isss.org/)
• Autopoiesis (http://www.acm.org/sigois/auto/Main.html)
• Systems theory (http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/SYSTHEOR.html)