Systemism as Ideology
Note: I’m taking a step back from introducing the principles of systems science. I need a bit more time to give them the attention they deserve. This week I’m going to focus on exploring “systemism” as an ideology.
The world would be a better place if more people thought deeply about what it means for something to be a system.
Many people want to change the complex political and economic systems we’re embedded in, yet they have little concern for basic questions like “what is a system?" and "how do systems work?”.
To me, this seems like trying to fly to the moon before understanding how atoms work.
In my mind, the key to overcoming this issue is to develop systems science into a rigorous and widely practiced academic discipline. Then, systems scientists will prove the merits of focusing on these fundamental questions by delivering concrete value for society in the form of new theories that help us build more functional systems.
It’s a long game that doesn’t deliver many quick fixes, but I’m not very interested in short-term band-aid “solutions.”
But there’s an emotional aspect to my mission that I’m much less comfortable with. It doesn’t really matter how many facts I can string together or how sound my logic is if I’m unable to inspire people and influence their beliefs. As my friend Jane, an editor at system explorers often reminds me, it’s important to make these abstract and heady concepts “fun and sexy.”
So, I’m going to spend some time exploring these murky waters of emotion and belief, starting with looking at “systemism” as an ideology.
Systemism as Ideology
Ideologies move the world. They are systems of ideas and ideals that inspire people to expend tremendous effort to support causes they believe in.
Climate activism inspires people to vandalize artistic masterpieces and superglue themselves to roads.
MAGAism drove citizens to protest/riot/insurrect (depending on your political ideology…) at the United States Capitol.
Crypto-anarchism spawned the birth of Bitcoin and the creation of a parallel digital economy containing trillions of dollars of value in cryptoassets.
Systemism is a worldview which states everything is a system, and that all problems should be solved in a systemic fashion. It was introduced by Mario Bunge, a philosopher-physicist who contrasted systemism with individualism and holism.
Individualism focuses on the components of social systems while underrating the connections between people. Holism emphasizes overall structure while downplaying the role of individual action. Systemism makes room for both individual agency and holistic structure while emphasizing the role of the environment.
Bunge claimed systemism is “more likely than its rivals to inspire and defend policies that combine competition with cooperation, and enhance individual welfare and liberty while strengthening or reforming the requisite institutions.”
Worldviews determine what we think is true. Our ideologies determine what we feel is right and should be done.
What would it look like to develop and spread an ideology based on the worldview of systemism?
What if I stop thinking primarily in terms of education, and start seeing myself as being on a sacred mission to spread an ideology?
I believe that its dangerous for anyone to allow their identity to become too closely wrapped up in any particular ideology. I also recognize that ideologies are an important and inevitable component of our human experience. Classical liberalism is an ideology that resonates with me and has influenced much of my thinking on political and economic issues. Those who are drawn to socialism often come to very different conclusions about what social policies to pursue, even when I agree with them on what the problems are.
Thinking in terms of ideology could have a profound impact on how I approach achieving the goal of getting more people to care deeply about systems.
Next week I’m going to explore some of the practical aspects of what it would mean to view System Explorers as a vehicle for spreading an ideology based on systemism.
For now I’d like to know — does this concept make sense to you? Are there any obvious flaws in my thinking here? What issues can you see arising with focusing on ideology?
Please leave questions and comments below.
"isms" do inspire movements. They claim answers to problems -- usually incomplete.
Systems science is remarkably powerful. We're just beginning to get a feel for what it is and its potential. This ism would be amazing.
Shingai, I appreciate this post and how you're connecting systemism to cultural events and movements. The way you're describing how people and things move through systems reveals the depth of interconnectedness each component has one the others. The paradox of independence and interdependence. Individual and collective. It makes me think about something I've been learning a lot about recently through the work of Michael Levin about bioelectricity. From my limited understanding, he's basically saying that we can see evidence at the cellular level in human systems that ALL intelligence is collective intelligence. Very cool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-9rLlFgcm0&t=4179s
And thanks for your commitment to writing! Keep it up!