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PEE 101 Applied Systems Engineering Lecture Notes 2013

General Systems Theory: An ntroduction

We live in a world which is largely man-made, one which has been created in the last 400

years by modern science. The power of science is the power of its method, which can besummarized in terms of three concepts: reductionism, repeatability and refutation.The belief that

any natural system can be decomposed into a set of material articles and that the laws governing

the motion of these particles can be determined by ewtonian dynamics is the essence of

reductionism. We may reduce the variety of the real world in e!periments validated by their

repeatability and we may ma"e intellectual progress by the refutation of the hypothesis.

#t seems beyond the power of science, however, to cope with the unstructured problems

of the real world, as opposed to the e!plicitly defined problems of laboratory. #n the

$unrestricted% sciences progress is slow and methodological problems abound. &s a conse'uence,

while man and his situation are the central focus of all social and humanistic sciences, each

science pursues its studies from a certain point of view. (olitical science concentrates on the

society)s political and administrative organization. *usiness economics is concerned with thecommercial organization, geography with the physical structure and philosophy with the pattern

of thought, views of life and ideologies, to name some e!amples.

+ystems +cience, on the other hand, strives to understand man and his environment aspart of interacting systems. The aim is to study this interaction from multiple perspectives,

holistically. #nherent to this approach is a comprehensive historical, contemporary and futuristic

outloo". +ystems science provides a general language with which to tie together various areas in

interdisciplinary communication. &s such, it automatically strives towards a universal science, i.e.

to oin together the many splintered disciplines with a $ law of laws%, applicable to them all and

integrating all scientific "nowledge. +ystems science can promote a culture wherein science,

philosophy and religion are no longer separated from each other.

To engage oneself in systems science is therefore a highly cross-scientific e!ercise. ne

has to come in contact with the many different disciplines: physics, biology, sociology,

philosophy and theology etc. The conse'uent possibility of all round educations is something

particularly needed in our over-specialized society.

ontributions concerning all round education include thoughts put forward by a numberof distinguished people. /ranois 1oltaire once said: 2Education is the only quality that remains

after we have forgotten all we have learned.scar Wilde said in one of his plays: 2Education is

a good thing but it ought to be remembered that nothing which is worth knowing can be taught.

& +wedish proverb tells us that 2Education is not something which can be learned; it issomething you can acquire.

3ayalbagh ducational #nstitute is contributing significantly in the systems movement

with the mission obective of evolving a 2complete man). The vision that guides the #nstitute is as

given by the /ounding /ather of 3ayalbagh, (aram 5uru 6uzur +ahabi 7ahara 2 Education,

more education, education made perfect is the panacea for all our countrys ills and evils. The

institute has a value-oriented system that strives to evolve a well rounded person, whose

hallmar"s are intellectual strength, emotional maturity, general "nowledge, aptitude, duties and

discharge of obligations, high moral character, simple living, scientific temper, inter-disciplinary

outloo", and understanding of society.

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The emergence o! "olistic Thin#ing

The following sections present the evolution of western system-theoretical outloo" and

theories over time starting from 7iddle &ges in 5reece, the cradle of Western modern humanscience. This will throw some light on the bac"ground necessary for understanding the origin of

systems thin"ing and subse'uent development.

The Scholastic Paradigm

The beliefs and "nowledge in any era are influenced by concomitant time-dependant

paradigms. The medieval world view can be described with the help of scholastic paradigm.

&lthough this paradigm may be characterized as prescientific, it was a complete philosophy

which wove together morality and heavenly systems with physical and worldly systems, creating

one entity. This amalgamation was based on the following propositions with an aim to oin belief

and "nowing:

ature was alive and thus mortal, vulnerable and finite

The universe and the nature of time was possible to understand

+alvation of the soul was most important challenge

atural sciences were subordinate to theology

The goal of science was to show the correlation between the world and spiritual truth

8nowledge was of encyclopedic nature, classified and labeled

The structure of society was influenced by 6eaven and reflected a divine order. The

cruciform medieval city was not only functional9 in addition, it was a religious symbol.

+cientific development was thus ac"nowledged only when it supported religion. eligion was

considered the superior interest and had the priority in a clash of interests. To pursue science in

this era was most often the same as profound interpretations of old religious te!ts. The e!isting

method for e!plaining the comple!ities of phenomena was insight or revelation. 3ivine order and

truth was revealed to human beings through the hurch. uriosity as such was sin and when the

first universities emerged, it was in order to maintain the "nowledge which was ac'uired throughor given by the 5od. bservation, recording, e!perimentation and drawing obective conclusions

were not encouraged. ature was viewed as an organism created by 5od9 to destroy ature was

to commit a sin. The natural forces were beyond human control9 any protection from them would

come from 5od or from witchcraft. atural phenomena not understood were given a supernatural

e!planation.

very man was considered to have his place in the divine order. To 'uestion or change this

order was a rebellion against nature and society, both creations of 5od. Worldly poverty was

compensated with heavenly happiness and the sinful abundance of wealth was punished by the

horrible fire of hell.

#n the scholastic conception, goal-see"ing or teleology, was an important concept. #t was

considered built into nature: stones fell to earth because they belonged to the earth and strove to

oin their origin and come to rest. The flower strived to bloom in order to bear fruit etc. &lso the

static e!planation of world order according to the second century &3 astronomerPtolemy as his

geocentric worldview, was predominant.

o difference was made between reality and dream, between fact and udgement. Alchemy

was not distinguished from chemistry, nor astrology from astronomy. eason was often regarded

as something irrelevant or offensive to the mysterious e!istence. The connection with reality was

unformulated, imprecise, implicit and indeterminate. #n physics, for e!ample, one spo"e about the

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four ;later e!tended to si!< basic substances. They were:

- arth

- Water

- &ir

- /ire

- ;=uintessence, including ether< - ;7agnetism