SOLIPSISM
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3110 ▶ |
| Object type | Epistemology, ontology or semantics |
The philosophical theory according to which the only “reality” is what is perceived by an observer.
A resurgence of bishop BERKELEY's views, solipsism is a frequent risk attached to some systemic interpretations of reality.
One may read for example that “… the Quantum version of the reality principle… asserts that only observed events are real” (R. FISCHER, 1992, p.216)
It should probably be better to write “real”, or “realized” with quote marks, in order to convey the understanding that this does not negates the existence of something “out there”.
The same problem may arise out of the notion of organizational closure, if it should be believed that the observer system becomes “closed” in the meaning that all representations become endogenously generated without any further reference to the “outside”.
A recent comment by M. MARUYAMA rises the disquieting possibility that our mass electronic image culture could lead to quite generalized collective solipsistic attitudes: “This state of mind can be easily produced in an environment where everything is artificial, everything is like a theatre stage, every wish can be fulfilled by a push-button, and there is nothing beyond the theatre stage and beyond your control” (1994, p.100).