NUCLEUS (Original)
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 2320 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Methodology or model |
The minimal initial structure from and around which the system will construct itself by replication and, in many cases, by differentiation.
This concept was introduced by BOULDING in l953, but until V. CSANYI's work (1989, 1993), it had never been duly scrutinized, at least in its systemic sense. The original nucleus seems to contain a kind of basic algorithm needed to guarantee the autopoietic future of the system, i.e. its permanent identity and coherence.
However, the potential of this algorithm does reveal itself by progressive differentiation and structuration through interactions of the system with its significant environment (which becomes also defined by the original nucleus).
In very complex systems, the potential of the algorithm is so enormous that it can never be completely expressed during the life-time of the system, which must make “choices” frequently and generally cannot retrocede to anterior forms of organization. These choices imply a progressive limitation of the virtual possibilities of the system. Such comments apply to individual personalities, organizations and cultures.
BOULDING also observes that the nucleus is generally some heterogeneous element or “impurity”, wherever it appears. This seminal comment, in turn and unfortunately did never arouse much attention.