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The science of synthesis: exploring the social implications of general systems theory

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dc.contributor.authorHammond, Debora, author
dc.contributor.authorUniversity Press of Colorado, publisher
dc.date.accessioned2007-01-03T05:41:48Z
dc.date.available2007-01-03T05:41:48Z
dc.date.issued2003
dc.description.abstractAnnotation Debora Hammond's The Science of Synthesis explores the development of general systems theory and the individuals who formed the Society for General Systems Research. In examining the lives and work of the SGSR's five founding members--Ludwig von Bertalanffy, Kenneth Boulding, Ralph Gerard, James Grier Miller, and Anatol Rapoport--Hammond traces the emergence of systems ideas across a broad range of disciplines in the mid-twentieth century. A metaphor and a framework, the systems concept as articulated by its earliest proponents highlights relationships and interconnectedness among the biological, ecological, social, psychological, and technological dimensions of our increasingly complex lives. Seeking to transcend the reductionism and mechanism of classical science--which they saw as limited by its focus on the discrete, component parts of reality--the general systems community hoped to complement this analytic approach with a more holistic approach. As one of many systems traditions, the general systems group was specifically interested in fostering collaboration and integration between different disciplinary perspectives. The Science of Synthesis documents a unique episode in the history of modern thought, one that remains relevant today. This book will be of interest to historians of science, system theorists, and scholars in such fields as cybernetics and system dynamics.
dc.description.tableofcontentsPrologue: The quest for peace in a nuclear world -- 1. The behavioral sciences in postwar America -- Part I: The sources of systems thinking -- 2. The science of life: Organization in living systems -- 3. Engineering management, and the military-industrial complex -- 4. Cybernetics and information theory: Feedback and homeostasis -- 5. Ecology and social theory: Structure, function, and evolution -- Part II: The founders of general systems research -- 6. Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1901-1972): General systems theory -- 7. The Chicago behavioral science committee -- Ralph Gerard (1900-1974) -- Anatol Rapoport (b.1911) -- James Grier Miller (b.1916) -- 8. Kenneth Boulding (1910-1993): Economics, ecology, and peace -- Part III: Evolution and evaluation -- 9. The society for general systems research: Establishment and development.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediumbooks
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10217/87662
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartofUniversity Press of Colorado
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.rightsAll rights reserved. User is responsible for compliance. Please contact University Press of Colorado at https://upcolorado.com/our-books/rights-and-permissions for use information.
dc.rights.accessAccess is limited to the Adams State University, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, Colorado State University Pueblo, Fort Lewis College, Metropolitan State University of Denver, University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, University of Denver, University of Northern Colorado, University of Wyoming, Utah State University, and Western Colorado University members only.
dc.subjectSystem theory -- History
dc.titleThe science of synthesis: exploring the social implications of general systems theory
dc.typeText

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