MACHINE (Recursion)
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1970 ▶ |
| Object type | Methodology or model |
A machine able to pick up and understand its own outputs.
This is the basic condition for organizational closure. It means that once an impulse has entered the machine, it remains active — or potentially active — within it through a defined operator. The action of the operator on the initial impulse generates a meaning. Various operators, when conjugating their action, may generate a behavioral algorithm.
von FOERSTER, quoting PIAGET, reminds us that action is a pre-condition for perception, while in turn perception becomes a pre-condition for new action. There is a kind of upbuilding circularity — or better, spirality — of the cognitive process.
Moreover, it seems that the whole universe of evolving systems could be viewed as a multi-level embedding of recursive machines.
See also
World engine (A. LOTKA).