This lens is intended to provide a view of the many resources available here on Squidoo that cover the fields of Cybernetics and the related fields of General Systems Theory, Systems Thinking, and Systems Dynamics.
As a meta view it takes one possible perspective on how the pieces relates... many other viewpoints are of course possible...
Orientation
The how , why and whereof this Lens
Cybernetics is at once both an interdisciplinary and a transdisciplinary study. It finds application in virtually whatever field of study one cares to name:* engineering
* biology
* physics
* sociology
* chemistry
* medicine
* management
and the formal aspects of the science seek to define a general theory of control ... one that is abstracted from the applied fields but appropriate to them all.
Connective Summary
Cybernetics Macrosope: a brief guide to the infinitely complex
This lens deals with the folowing topics:A Cybernetic Taxonomy
K1 Core Cybernetics
K2 General Cybernetics
K3 Applied Cybernetics
Second Order Cybernetics
Cybernetics Research Resources
A Cybernetic Taxonomy
- K1 - core cybernetics
- K2 - general cybernetics
(incl. connectionism, systems theory, synergetics, decision theory, information theory) - k3 - applied cybernetics
(incl. Medical Cybernetics, Biocybernetics, Quantum Cybernetics, Educational Cybernetics, Anthropocybernetics, Technical Cybernetics) - Second order cybernetics
(second order cybernetics turns the principles of cybernetics upon the field of cybernetics itself. In order to qualify as second-order cybernetics, the observer of a system must be described and explained -- the explanation can not be based purely on the system observed as if the observer did not exist.)
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K1 Core Cybernetics
- cybernetics
- A simple view of Cybernetics is as the science of communications and control in animal and machine.
- K1 and K2 General Cybernetics
- This lens is concerned mostly with "K2 Cybernetics" although it does cover some "K1 Cybernetics.
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K2 General Cybernetics
- K1 and K2 General Cybernetics
- This lens is concerned mostly with "K2 Cybernetics"
K2 = general cybernetics (incl. connectionism, systems theory, synergetics, decision theory, information theory)
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K3 - applied cybernetics
- K3 Meta Lens
- This lens by DHC Soul provides pointers to his other lenses dealing with different fields of applied cybernetics
- Managerial Cybernetics
- This lens is dedicated to exploring the work of Stafford Beer and the development of his VSM.
It is especially interested in the applicaton of cybernetics to the field of organizational design, management and control. - Educational Cybernetics
- Educational Cybernetics is concerned with improving both formal educational ventures and learning conversations.
It is based on Cybernetics - the science of communication and control - but is often influenced by the more general System Sciences including the thoeries surrounding embedded systems (ecological)modeling.
It is normally approached through the form of "action research" and should be considered as part of the sphere of Second Order Cybernetics as studying education systems is of course the studying of people systems and the process of studying systems we are in causes the systems and us to change. - Sociocybernetics
- "Sociocybernetics can be defined as 'Systems Science in Sociology and Other Social Sciences' - systems science, because sociocybernetics is not limited to theory but includes application, empirical research, methodology, axiology (i.e., ethics and value research), and epistemology." (The Research Committee on sociocybernbetics, RC51)
- Anthropocybernetics
- Macro-Anthropocybernetics - Human cybernetics as they affect social systems.
Micro-Anthropocybernetics - Human cybernetics in their application to human individuals.
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Second Order Cybernetics
- Second Order Cybernetics
- Second order Cybernetics considers the impact that the observer has on the system being observed.... as such it covers all most all aspects of human endeavor.
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Cybernetic Research Resources
- History and Biographies
- This lens details with the development of Cybernetics (and to a lesser extent General Systems Theory) and the early research and philosophies of the founders of the disciplines.
- Cybernetics Journals
- To dig deeper (much deeper) into the rich tapestry of our world and how complex systems really work.... consider these academic resources.
- A Basic Cybernetics Library
- Some of the books that should be considered for any 'serious' cybernetics library are covered in this lens. Some of these are available without charge on the web...
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Related Disciplines Squidoo Lenses
- General Systems Theory
- "The notion of a system may be seen as simply a more self-conscious and generic term for the dynamic interrelatedness of components." Von Bertalanffy
General Systems Theory is closely related to Cybernetics... this lens concentrates on the former but also examines the relationship and where the two fields overlap and can be used to give better insight into the workings of complex and emerging systems. - Systems Thinking
- The term systems thinking is often linked to the work of Peter Senge...the range of fields that are sometimes linked to the term include systems theory and cybernetics
- Systems Science
- Systems Science and cybernetics are closely related disciplines... this lens concentrates on the former and discusses where the two come together.
- Synergetics
- Synergy can be defined as "behavior of whole systems unpredicted by the behavior of their parts taken separately." Synergetics undertakes the study of this behavior.
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