Humanistic Systems Research (repost)
Inspiration from a Founding Father of General Systems Theory
Note: this is one more repost of a piece from earlier this year. I’m sharing because I just completed a cross-country move and still need some time to plan and polish new material. This piece is important because digging into the history of the early systems theorists has had a tremendous influence on my thinking. I feel it’s important to highlight and reconnect with their visions and ambitions for the field of systems research.
“Systems Science, centered in computer technology, cybernetics, automation, and systems engineering, appears to make the systems idea another—and indeed the ultimate—technique to shape man and society ever more into the ‘Megamachine’ …” — Uncommon Sense: The Life and Thought of Ludwig von Bertalanffy, Father of General Systems Theory (p. 206)
During the holiday break, I read a biography of Ludwig von Bertalanffy, “Father of General Systems Theory.” It was a wonderful read that I’d highly recommend for anyone interested in the history of systems theory, systems science, and the broader systems movement.
One idea that stood out for me was the fact that Bertalanffy emphasized a humanistic general systems theory which centered the role of human individuals. He believed that:
Humans are not machines
All individuals have a natural right to pursue self-fulfillment
Human individuals are uniquely important among all other systems in the world
Social systems exist to serve human goals, not the other way around
This perspective is in stark contrast with prevailing mechanistic and technological approaches to systems theory which prioritize systems efficiency for its own sake and often view humans as simple components to be tweaked for the sake of some vague collective “greater good.” These approaches set the stage for top-down technocratic rule which threatens to squash the spirit and creative potential of individuals.
“In opposition to images of Homo sapiens as ‘the robot of mechanistic technology, ‘the laboratory rat of the behaviorist school of psychology, and the ‘naked ape’ of pop anthropology, Bertalanffy put forward what he called a ‘new image of man,’ emphasizing the decisive role our species can play in shaping its own destiny” — Uncommon Sense: The Life and Thought of Ludwig von Bertalanffy, Father of General Systems Theory (p. 35)
I’m inspired to consciously incorporate this humanistic perspective into my research. To search for processes, principles, and patterns that help humanity create social systems which strike that delicate balance between supporting individual flourishing, while allowing for the emergence of the complex peaceful cooperation and coordination necessary for us to wisely steward our planet.
“We are very much in need of Bertalanffy’s humanistic general systems theory, to help us think more clearly about the survival of the human species and the meaning of the human spirit.” Uncommon Sense: The Life and Thought of Ludwig von Bertalanffy, Father of General Systems Theory (p.210)