DETERMINATION (Multiple)
Charles François (2004). DETERMINATION (Multiple), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 888.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 888 ▶ |
| Object type | Epistemology, ontology or semantics, Methodology or model |
The effect on behavior of a number of simultaneously convergent causes.
G. BATESON gives a striking, everyday life example: “We turn off the light when we go to bed, influenced partly by the economics of scarcity, partly by premises of transference, partly by ideas of privacy, partly to reduce sensorial input, etc…” (1973, p.476).
Unfortunately, our belief in linear causal determinism, acquired through traditional training, many times blinds us to multiple determination and leads us to gross and at times, dangerous simplifications.