CLOSURE
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 450 ▶ |
| Object type | Epistemology, ontology or semantics |
The property of a system to maintain its own internal order and identity within defined and permanent boundaries.
The condition for closure is internal recursivity in the system, as demonstrated by H. MATURANA and F. VARELA.
F. HEYLIGHEN states:“Closure of a substructure within a larger structure means that the external distinction (between the substructure and its complement or environment) is enhanced, whereas the internal distinctions (between the elements or components of the substructure) are reduced. In other words, closure diminishes the coherence between the substructure and its environment while amplifying the internal coherence of the substructure”. (1990b, p.488)
The word “substructure” (used by HEYLIGHEN in a paper about representations in quantum mechanics) could be usefully substituted by the word “system”, since the concept of closure is very general.
Structural closure, in particular, implies the construction, reconstruction and repair of the parts of the system. As to cognitive processes, closure leads to their circularity (H.von FOERSTER — 1992, p.68)
Closure, in its organizational sense, “a logical attribute” in E. SCHWARZ words, “should not be confused with energetic closeness (or openness), a physical level attribute” (1993, p.3)
See also
Organization: a descriptive language