Systematics - study of multi-term systems
Encyclopedia
Systematics is a study of system
s and their application to the problem of understanding ourselves and the world, developed by John G. Bennett in the mid-twentieth century. The purpose of systematics is the understanding of organized complexity. It was described, at various stages of development, in his major work in four volumes The Dramatic Universe in 1970.
Systematics deals with the qualitative significance of number in an orderly way as a series of multi-term systems: monad
, dyad
, triad, tetrad
and so on in an open-ended progression. A multi-term system is defined as:
The characters of the terms of a system depend on the system, so that the terms of a triad are impulses and those of a pentad, limits.
In systematics there is a progression of systems from monad up, from vague wholeness to increasingly articulate structure that reaches into society and history. Multi-term systems are the most abstract and simplistic forms of understanding. They evolve into structures, such as expressed in the Enneagram of Process symbol of Gurdjieff, and thence into communities and relevance to biosphere
and noosphere
.
tradition, but was influenced by twentieth century movements such as A. N. Whitehead's philosophy of organism
, C. S. Peirce's pragmatism
and Jan; but was independent of Bertalanffy's general systems theory and other systems thinking
work. The strongest influence was from Gurdjieff and his writings. Gurdjieff had taught the significance of the 'law of three' and the 'law of seven' in an esoteric context, but Bennett proposed that there was a 'law' for every integral number, and that this could help people understand practical things such as management and education.
Parallels can be drawn between systematics and the work of C. G. Jung and Marie Louise von Franz on number as archetypal, as well with the philosophies of engineers such as Buckminster Fuller
and Arthur Young.
, which later became a broad methodology called logovisual thinking (LVT).
System
System is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole....
s and their application to the problem of understanding ourselves and the world, developed by John G. Bennett in the mid-twentieth century. The purpose of systematics is the understanding of organized complexity. It was described, at various stages of development, in his major work in four volumes The Dramatic Universe in 1970.
Overview
Bennett has defined systematics as "the study of systems and their application to the problem of understanding ourselves and the world." According to him there are four branches of systematics to be determined:- Formal Systematics which could study "the properties of systems without reference to the nature of the terms. It consists mainly of the investigation of possible modes of connectedness which evidently can be very complex for systems with more than three or four terms".
- Pure Systematics which could seek "to identify and describe the universal properties or attributes common to all systems".
- Applied Systematics which could form "the study of systems occurring in our experience and is chiefly directed to the identification of the terms and their characteristics".
- Practical Systematics which could focus on "the application of the understanding gained through the study of systems to the problems that arise in all departments of life".
Systematics deals with the qualitative significance of number in an orderly way as a series of multi-term systems: monad
Monad
-Philosophy:*Monad a term meaning "unit" used variously by ancient philosophers from the Pythagoreans to Plato, Aristotle, and Plotinus to signify a variety of entities from a genus to God....
, dyad
Dyad
Dyad may refer to:*Dyad , a pair of sister chromatids occurring in prophase I of meiosis; may also be used to describe protein morphology*Dyad , Greek philosophers' principle of "twoness" or "otherness"...
, triad, tetrad
Tetrad
Tetrad may refer to:* Tetrad , Bivalents or Tetrad of homologous chromosomes consisting of four synapsed chromatids that become visible during the Pachytene stage of meiotic prophase...
and so on in an open-ended progression. A multi-term system is defined as:
- A set of independent but mutually relevant terms. Every system has its special attribute, such as dynamism for the triad, or significance for the pentad.
The characters of the terms of a system depend on the system, so that the terms of a triad are impulses and those of a pentad, limits.
In systematics there is a progression of systems from monad up, from vague wholeness to increasingly articulate structure that reaches into society and history. Multi-term systems are the most abstract and simplistic forms of understanding. They evolve into structures, such as expressed in the Enneagram of Process symbol of Gurdjieff, and thence into communities and relevance to biosphere
Biosphere
The biosphere is the global sum of all ecosystems. It can also be called the zone of life on Earth, a closed and self-regulating system...
and noosphere
Noosphere
Noosphere , according to the thought of Vladimir Vernadsky and Teilhard de Chardin, denotes the "sphere of human thought". The word is derived from the Greek νοῦς + σφαῖρα , in lexical analogy to "atmosphere" and "biosphere". Introduced by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin 1922 in his Cosmogenesis"...
.
History
Systematics came out of the PythagoreanPythagoreanism
Pythagoreanism was the system of esoteric and metaphysical beliefs held by Pythagoras and his followers, the Pythagoreans, who were considerably influenced by mathematics. Pythagoreanism originated in the 5th century BCE and greatly influenced Platonism...
tradition, but was influenced by twentieth century movements such as A. N. Whitehead's philosophy of organism
Philosophy of Organism
Philosophy of Organism or Organic Realism is how Alfred North Whitehead described his metaphysics. It is now known as process philosophy....
, C. S. Peirce's pragmatism
Pragmatism
Pragmatism is a philosophical tradition centered on the linking of practice and theory. It describes a process where theory is extracted from practice, and applied back to practice to form what is called intelligent practice...
and Jan; but was independent of Bertalanffy's general systems theory and other systems thinking
Systems thinking
Systems thinking is the process of understanding how things influence one another within a whole. In nature, systems thinking examples include ecosystems in which various elements such as air, water, movement, plants, and animals work together to survive or perish...
work. The strongest influence was from Gurdjieff and his writings. Gurdjieff had taught the significance of the 'law of three' and the 'law of seven' in an esoteric context, but Bennett proposed that there was a 'law' for every integral number, and that this could help people understand practical things such as management and education.
Parallels can be drawn between systematics and the work of C. G. Jung and Marie Louise von Franz on number as archetypal, as well with the philosophies of engineers such as Buckminster Fuller
Buckminster Fuller
Richard Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller was an American systems theorist, author, designer, inventor, futurist and second president of Mensa International, the high IQ society....
and Arthur Young.
Programme
Systematics has an integrative programme. Throughout all cultures and throughout all disciplines there are discernible threads of meaning associated with multi-term systems that might otherwise be missed. Systematics links with understanding which is connected with structural unity and how insight from one area of experience can be transferred to another without distortion. A journal called Systematics was launched by Bennett’s Institute for Comparative Study to publish a diversity of articles relating to this programme. Systematics also led into the development of a new learning system called structural communicationStructural communication
Structural communication was developed in the 1960s by John G. Bennett and his research team to simulate the structure and quality of a small group tutorial through automated means. It provides access to high level learning for many students without much supervision. A communication consists of...
, which later became a broad methodology called logovisual thinking (LVT).
See also
- John G. BennettJohn G. BennettJohn Godolphin Bennett, was a British mathematician, scientist, technologist, industrial research director, and author. He is perhaps best known for his many books on psychology and spirituality, and particularly the teachings of G.I. Gurdjieff...
- SystemicsSystemicsIn the context of systems science and systems philosophy, the term systemics refers to an initiative to study systems from a holistic point of view...
- SystemographySystemographySystemography or SGR is a process where phenomena regarded as complex are purposefully represented as a constructed model of a general system. It maybe used in three different roles: conceptualization, analysis, and simulation...
- Systems philosophySystems PhilosophySystems philosophy is the study of the development of systems, with an emphasis on design and root cause analysis. Systems philosophy is a form of systems thinking....
- Systems scienceSystems scienceSystems science is an interdisciplinary field of science that studies the nature of complex systems in nature, society, and science. It aims to develop interdisciplinary foundations, which are applicable in a variety of areas, such as engineering, biology, medicine and social sciences.Systems...
- Systems theorySystems theorySystems theory is the transdisciplinary study of systems in general, with the goal of elucidating principles that can be applied to all types of systems at all nesting levels in all fields of research...
Further reading
- John G. Bennett, General systematics in: Systematics, Vol 1 No. 1, June 1963.
- John G. Bennett: The Dramatic Universe, Vols. I – IV, March 1970.
- John G. Bennett (ed. David Seamon): Elementary Systematics – a tool for understanding wholes, 1970.
External links
- Systemics.org website about Systematics, with many links.
- LOGOVISUAL THINKING website.