BREAKDOWN
Charles François (2004). BREAKDOWN, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 338.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 338 ▶ |
| Object type | General information |
The structural disintegration or functional disruption of a system or subsystem.
M. BUNGE distinguishes: “If integration fails the system undergoes structural breakdown. On the other hand coordination concerns the relation among either components of functions resulting in functional maintenance. If coordination fails the system undergoes functional breakdown. There can be integration without coordination but not conversely. A complex machine out of kilter is integrated but not coordinated. On the other hand organisms are coordinated and a fortiori integrated as long as they live (1979, p.38).
While machines can be sometimes repaired, breakdown in organisms and sociosystems is generally irreversible.