My Hopes for the ISSS
I joined the International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS) in the summer of 2022 because I believe that systems science is the most interesting and important discipline in the world.
George Mobus, a former president of the society, recently gave a presentation which inspired a lively conversation about the organization’s past, present, and future.
The discussion inspired me to reflect on my hopes for the organization and how I can meaningfully contribute to its objective of “[advancing] systems science theory and application by connecting and enabling researchers and practitioners, and disseminates the knowledge of systems to a global audience.”
Here are a few of my thoughts.
Back to Basics
The ISSS was originally founded in 1954 as the Society for General Systems Research by pioneers in systems theory including Ludwig von Bertalanffy and Kenneth Boulding.
Its initial purpose centered on the following main objectives:
“To investigate the isomorphy of concepts, laws, and models in various fields, and to help in useful transfers from one field to another;
To encourage the development of adequate theoretical models in areas which lack them;
To eliminate the duplication of theoretical efforts in different fields; and
To promote the unity of science through improving the communication among specialists.”
Since then, the society has “expanded its scope beyond purely theoretical and technical considerations to include the practical application of systems methodologies to problem solving.”
While I acknowledge the importance of developing practical methods for solving real world problems, I also believe it’s important to recognize that our ability to do so will be constrained by the quality of our underlying theories.
There are some fundamental questions which must be directly addressed if systems science is to move beyond its current formative stages and evolve into a mature science.
What is General Systems Theory, and what is its current state?
What specific conceptual frameworks should a systems scientist use, and why?
What, precisely, is systems science?
The ISSS can, and should aim for finding some rough consensus around these core theoretical issues. I feel very inspired to spend my time focusing on these ideas because they are intellectually fascinating and I believe answering them will enhance my ability to contribute to meaningful problem solving.
That being said, I appreciated how several members emphasized the fact that theory and practice complement and inform each other. It isn’t possible to completely separate them.
Finding my Place
Current president Gary Smith and VP of administration Jen Makar both inspired me by emphasizing how important it is for people to show up, volunteer, and translate their passion into action.
As a new member to the society who is early in my systems journey I’m still getting a feel for how I can best contribute.
I’ve been working with George and VP of education Daniel Friedman to develop George’s proposed System Language. I think it’s a promising potential foundation for a universal language of systems that could help unify systems science around a set of definitions that transcend disciplinary boundaries. It can also support standardized forms of rigorous systems analysis for deeply understanding any system of interest.
There’s a lot of work to be done in terms of fully developing, specifying and implementing the language before its utility can be truly assessed. But even in its primitive form I’m finding it to be a valuable formal framework for guiding my analysis of cryptoeconomic systems.
I’m very used to working solo, so I’ll need to continue improving my skills around communication, documentation, organization, and delegation in order to ensure that it’s easy for others to meaningfully engage with and contribute to the exciting work we’ve started.
A New Hope
These are a few of my specific hopes for the ISSS.
I hope to see greater collaboration. One member brought up the fact that it’s a bit difficult to find opportunities to collaborate within the organization. I’d like to see it get easier.
I hope to see greater unification. The ISSS, and systems science as a whole, are incredibly fragmented. Pluralism is important, but it’s also essential for scientific disciplines to rally around common definitions, standard theories, and methodologies so they can mature.
Perhaps most importantly, I hope to see a protopian vision for the future emerge from the society. Kevin Kelly coined the term protopia in 2011. It refers to a realistic middle state between utopia and dystopia — one that “is better today than yesterday, although it might be only a little better.”
Many, including myself are rightfully concerned with the state of the world and highlight the potential for systems science to help us avert catastrophe. But I don’t believe we should be solely driven by our fears.
What about our aspirations? What do we hope to create? What, concretely, does a better, systems-science enhanced future look like?
These are questions I’ve been considering for myself, and I’d love to see the ISSS work towards articulating and putting forth an inspiring vision of what a slightly better positive future might look like as we advance systems science and increase the number of skilled systems scientists on our precious planet.