DIFFERENCES (Hierarchies of)
Charles François (2004). DIFFERENCES (Hierarchies of), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 916.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 916 ▶ |
| Object type | Methodology or model |
G. BATESON considers that what the biologists call “levels” (of complexity), as for example J. MILLER's 8 levels in living systems, mark hierarchical differences.
He writes: “These are the hierarchies of units or Gestalten, in which each subunit is a part of the unit of next larger scope” and he adds “… this difference or relationship which I call 'part of' is such that certain differences in the part have informational effect upon the larger unit, and vice versa” (1973, p.433).
In this case too, it is our mind which discovers a relation, being in this case an embedding ordering.