METASYSTEM PARADIGM: Epistemological status
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 2113 ▶ |
| Object type | Epistemology, ontology or semantics |
J.van GIGCH clarifes as follows the status of the epistemological questions which the metasystem paradigm attempts to answer
- “Epistemological questions for which the metasystem paradigm does not hold answers
1. The question of problem definition: How should the problem be defined: “In everything there is everything”
2. The problem of coherence or of holism: How are the boundaries of the irreductible whole defined?
3. The question of complexity and solvability: Reality is complex but complex models cannot be solved
4. The question of 'idealism' vs 'realism': The idealist propounds impractical solutions which consider the whole; the realist present nearby solutions which are practical but nearsighted.
“Epistemological questions for which the metasystem paradigm holds answers
1. Problem of optimization and suboptimization: Can we really optimize? What is centralization and decentralization?
2. Principle of invariance: Is there isomorphism between systems levels?
3. The ontological question: Do hierarchies really exist?
4. The guarantee of truth: How do we guarantee truth or the validity of our solution?
5. The question of observability and of control: Interplay between observer/designer, description and prescription. Role of purpose in teleogenic systems“. (pers. commun.)