SUMMATIVITY
Charles François (2004). SUMMATIVITY, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(2): 3262.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3262 ▶ |
| Object type | Methodology or model |
Process in which the “…variations of any element depend upon that element alone and variations of the whole system represent a sum of variations of its elements taken independently of each other (there is no interaction in this case)” (I. BLAUBERG et al., 1977, p.54-55).
This concept seems self-defeating. If the system “is more that the sum of its parts” the existence of interactions is indispensable and obvious. Conversely, if there are no internal interactions, but only an array of unconnected transformations of elements, there is no system.
The situation of simple summativity does not even seems to exist in composite systems, wherein at least there are global statistical interrelations.