General System Theory

General System Theory
Author: Ludwig von Bertalanffy
Publisher: New York : G. Braziller
Total Pages: 324
Release: 2003
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780807604533

Gathered here are Ludwig von Bertalanffy's writings on general systems theory, selected and edited to show the evolution of systems theory and to present it applications to problem solving.


General System Theory

General System Theory
Author: Ludwig von Bertalanffy
Publisher: George Braziller
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2015
Genre: System theory
ISBN: 9780807600153

The classic book on a major modern theory


A Systems View Of Man

A Systems View Of Man
Author: Ludwig von Bertalanffy
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 219
Release: 2019-04-08
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0429724233

What does it mean to be human? What distinguishes man from other animals? “Man’s creation of the universe of symbols,†replies Ludwig von Bertalanffy. “Man lives in a world not of things, but of symbols.†Dr. von Bertalanffy explores the historical development of symbolic language, examines the nature of human values, and shows how a current breakdown of symbolic universes contributes to the feeling of meaninglessness so prevalent in modern society. He notes that a major portion of mankind’s aggressive acts are not biologically induced but arise within symbolic frameworks.


Introduction to Systems Theory

Introduction to Systems Theory
Author: Niklas Luhmann
Publisher: Polity
Total Pages: 300
Release: 2012-12-10
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9780745645728

Niklas Luhmann ranks as one of the most important sociologists and social theorists of the twentieth century. Through his many books he developed a highly original form of systems theory that has been hugely influential in a wide variety of disciplines. In Introduction to Systems Theory, Luhmann explains the key ideas of general and sociological systems theory and supplies a wealth of examples to illustrate his approach. The book offers a wide range of concepts and theorems that can be applied to politics and the economy, religion and science, art and education, organization and the family. Moreover, Luhmann’s ideas address important contemporary issues in such diverse fields as cognitive science, ecology, and the study of social movements. This book provides all the necessary resources for readers to work through the foundations of systems theory – no other work by Luhmann is as clear and accessible as this. There is also much here that will be of great interest to more advanced scholars and practitioners in sociology and the social sciences.


Uncommon Sense

Uncommon Sense
Author: Mark Davidson
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH)
Total Pages: 260
Release: 1983
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN:

"Uncommon Sense is the first nontechnical presentation of biologist / philosopher Ludwig von Bertalanffy and the only approachable explanation of his discoveries in the ecological / holistic field known as General Systems Theory. Prepared with the help of his private papers and reminiscences of his wife and son, this book offers a vital tool for managers, physicians, psychologists, scientists, teachers, parents, and public officials."--Book cover.


Systems Theory and Family Therapy

Systems Theory and Family Therapy
Author: Raphael J. Becvar
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 159
Release: 2023-10-02
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1538185687

A concise, readable introduction to systems theory (and especially second-order cybernetics) with practical applications to family therapy. Systems Theory and Family Therapy: A Primer, Fourth Edition, provides a thorough yet concise explication of systems theory (cybernetics), which is the primary paradigm for the practice of systemic individual, marital, and family therapy. This book provides an overview of the essential concepts of a systems theoretical perspective using families and family therapy in context as examples and illustrations of their application in professional practice. Readers are invited to see themselves as parts of the systems with which they are working, consistent with a second-order cybernetics perspective. This book concludes with more than one hundred examples of how the meta-perspective of systems theory can be used in work with families.


Grey Systems

Grey Systems
Author: Sifeng Liu
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 391
Release: 2010-12-09
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3642161588

Due to inherent limitations in human sensing organs, most data collected for various purposes contain uncertainties. Even at the rare occasions when accurate data are available, the truthful predictions derived on the data tend to create chaotic consequences. So, to effectively process and make sense out of available data, we need methods to deal with uncertainty inherently existing inside the data. The intent of this monograph is to explore the fundamental theory, methods, and techniques of practical application of grey systems theory, initiated by Professor Deng Julong in 1982. This volume presents most of the recent advances of the theory accomplished by scholars from around the world. From studying this book, the reader will not only acquire an overall knowledge of this new theory but also be able to follow the most current research activities. All examples presented are based on practical applications of the theory when urgent real-life problems had to be addressed. Last but not the least, this book concludes with three appendices. The first one compares grey systems theory and interval analysis while revealing the fact that interval analysis is a part of grey mathematics. The second appendix presents an array of different approaches of studying uncertainties. And, the last appendix shows how uncertainties appear using general systems approach.