SOCIETY for GENERAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3093 ▶ |
| Object type | General information |
The original scientific body dedicated to systems research.
The Society, states K. BOULDING, “originated in a conversation around the lunch table at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences in Palo Alto,California, in the fall of 1954” (1972, p.79). It was officially founded in December 1954, under the leadership of the Palo Alto initiators: L.von BERTALANFFY, a biologist: K, BOULDING, an economist; R. GERARD. a physiologist, and A. RAPOPORT, a bio-physicist. It was named at that time the “Society for the Advancement of General Systems Theory”. The name was changed for the first time in 1957. It published from 1956 till 1984 a Yearbook containing a selection of the best papers on systems and cybernetics and still organizes a yearly meeting in different places in the world. Its membership is completely international and it has National Divisions and Regional Chapters, as well as Special Interest Groups.
The four basic aims of the Society were defined as follows:
- To investigate the isomorphy of concepts, laws, and models in various fields, and to help in useful transfers from one field to another.
- To encourage development of adequate theoretical models in fields that lack them
- To minimize duplication of theoretical effort
- To promote the unity of science.
According to a survey organized by G. KLIR in 1978, W. ROSS ASHBY (1903 — 1972) was by far the most influential person in systems mouvement. KLIR states “The great impact of ASHBY's work on systems movement can be explained, at least partially by the superior clarity of his writings, his unusual capability to recognize important principles where other see only trivialities, his great gift for essence preserving simplification, his broad interests, encompassing both cybernetics and general systems research, and his meticulous scholarship” (1991, p.36).
Since 1988 the name of the Society is \term“{International Society for Systems Science}”. (see the corresponding entry for other details)