SUBJECTION
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3250 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Methodology or model |
- “A governing relation of asymmetrical dependence” (J. FEIBLEMAN & J. FRIEND, 1969, p.36).
This is basically the hierarchical mode of organization of systems, in which the survival of some elements depends on other elements or subsystems.
For example, partial destruction of the nervous system or the brain leads to the loss of certain functions in the living system. In a somewhat similar sense, in an authoritarian society, the welfare and even at times the survival of the citizens depends on the group which controls the state.
The concept of subjection seems quite similar to the one of slaving in HAKEN's synergetics.
Asymmetry is not necessarily absolute, since what happens in the system depends on the relative position of the intervening elements in the hierarchical order. For example, a living being which loses a leg may survive, but its potential for action decreases heavily.