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An attempt to formulate common laws that apply to virtually every scientific field, this conceptual approach has had a profound impact on such widely diverse disciplines as biology, economics, psychology, and demography.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Let's get this out of the way first - I really like and enjoy both the book and the principles behind it. The idea of a general system theory (GST), which transcends the mechanistic worldview and moves more towards an organistic one, where bits are not broken down for individual analysis only but where a synthesis is attempted as well, and where a holistic view needs to be taken for a comprehensive understanding of a system are all beyod reproach.
The author shows examples of some general systemic principles, which apply in vastly different fields of science, and which while similar in principle, were derived largely independently. These should form the basis of GST as a discipline.
On top of that, the book has several other endearing and interesting characteristics. Von Bertalanffy was certainly aware off and mentions Kuhn's ideas quite a bit. A specific element to be found throughout the book shows how painfully aware the author is of the implications of Kuhn's work - basically that if a theory does not hit the Zeitgeist, it will vanish irrespective of its superior explanatory power, or at best languish somewhere out of the limelight. Namely the author is quite aware that the mechanistic view of things still holds sway (at the time of writing, and to a large extent 4 decades later as well) over Anglosaxon thought and in the related academic circles. At the time of writing there still was a very strong Germanic tradition, much more suited to the GST approach, which he tries to bind more closely (almost all the concepts he presents, he uses German words for, in order to cement the link). With time this tradition weakened somewhat and this was also reflected in the popularity of the theory.
The other problem is that of the writings being too complex and requiring too much background knowledge, education and thinking capacity to still be popular in the more modern, one minute manager type of world.
It is in many ways still a relevant guide of how to reform both science, our knowledge systems and ways of making decisions more broadly, however I think that it is now even further at the fringe than it was at the time von Bertalanffy first postulated it.
On a practical note, a criticism I find is the relative doggedness one needs to bring to reading it - even though the author had spent several decades living and working in Canada when this was written, the same overcomplex Germanic writing style is used, which in many ways unduly limited the readership the ideas finally managed to spread to. In hindsight some of the areas developed in very different directions from those the author deemed necessary or most promising as well (gestalt psychology), making some aspects of the book a bit dated, when it is read now.
Irrespective of that, I think it is a highly valuable contribution to the intellectual fabric of the 20th century and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in cybernetics, holistic thinking, systemic thinking, system dynamics or control theory.
The author shows examples of some general systemic principles, which apply in vastly different fields of science, and which while similar in principle, were derived largely independently. These should form the basis of GST as a discipline.
On top of that, the book has several other endearing and interesting characteristics. Von Bertalanffy was certainly aware off and mentions Kuhn's ideas quite a bit. A specific element to be found throughout the book shows how painfully aware the author is of the implications of Kuhn's work - basically that if a theory does not hit the Zeitgeist, it will vanish irrespective of its superior explanatory power, or at best languish somewhere out of the limelight. Namely the author is quite aware that the mechanistic view of things still holds sway (at the time of writing, and to a large extent 4 decades later as well) over Anglosaxon thought and in the related academic circles. At the time of writing there still was a very strong Germanic tradition, much more suited to the GST approach, which he tries to bind more closely (almost all the concepts he presents, he uses German words for, in order to cement the link). With time this tradition weakened somewhat and this was also reflected in the popularity of the theory.
The other problem is that of the writings being too complex and requiring too much background knowledge, education and thinking capacity to still be popular in the more modern, one minute manager type of world.
It is in many ways still a relevant guide of how to reform both science, our knowledge systems and ways of making decisions more broadly, however I think that it is now even further at the fringe than it was at the time von Bertalanffy first postulated it.
On a practical note, a criticism I find is the relative doggedness one needs to bring to reading it - even though the author had spent several decades living and working in Canada when this was written, the same overcomplex Germanic writing style is used, which in many ways unduly limited the readership the ideas finally managed to spread to. In hindsight some of the areas developed in very different directions from those the author deemed necessary or most promising as well (gestalt psychology), making some aspects of the book a bit dated, when it is read now.
Irrespective of that, I think it is a highly valuable contribution to the intellectual fabric of the 20th century and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in cybernetics, holistic thinking, systemic thinking, system dynamics or control theory.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Bertalanffy was so far ahead of his time. He first developed his System Theory approach before the second world war and this book brings together all of his ideas. This edition was written in 1968 shortly before his death. It is at times quite a technical work and sometimes the authors style can be a little grating (he does not forget to say how he invented the entire field multiple times), but it is amazing that such significant work was done so long ago.
If you are interested in Systems Biology then you should start here as it contains many of the ideas that we are only now rediscovering.
If you are interested in Systems Biology then you should start here as it contains many of the ideas that we are only now rediscovering.
Format:Paperback
This book is quite old now and shows some of its age. At the time the idea of system theory was new and invigorating although it still appears that the theory was not radically new by any means even then.
Bertalanffy discusses the idea of a system mainly through dynamical systems in his early chapters but also discusses important issues such as open systems, teleology and the organism considered as a system. By no means does this remove the dogma of the reductionists but the whole idea can be incorporated within it by some adjustments and expansions of the original concept. In that sense it is still possible for a biologist to consider animals and plants as complex machines. Nothing in this book really forces anyone to onsider an alternative.
On the other hand his later chapters from chapter 8 onwards discuss truly fascinating questions in psychology and the study of language especially noting the work of Whorf. It is these last chapters which make the book interesting. In its day it would have been something that evoked interest and fascination but now its the as yet unexplord aspects of the study of man which remain as they have always been an enigma and a source of endless wonder.
A book for the development of system ideas
Bertalanffy discusses the idea of a system mainly through dynamical systems in his early chapters but also discusses important issues such as open systems, teleology and the organism considered as a system. By no means does this remove the dogma of the reductionists but the whole idea can be incorporated within it by some adjustments and expansions of the original concept. In that sense it is still possible for a biologist to consider animals and plants as complex machines. Nothing in this book really forces anyone to onsider an alternative.
On the other hand his later chapters from chapter 8 onwards discuss truly fascinating questions in psychology and the study of language especially noting the work of Whorf. It is these last chapters which make the book interesting. In its day it would have been something that evoked interest and fascination but now its the as yet unexplord aspects of the study of man which remain as they have always been an enigma and a source of endless wonder.
A book for the development of system ideas
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A reference ...
Well, this book is utterly famous. It still contains very interesting information despite its age. Historically, it is also Von Bertalanffy trying to prove to the world that his... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Rimbalo
The best intent to transcend the mechanistic worldview
GST is certainly the best intent we have to transcend the mechanistic worldview from the point of view of the new science. Read more
Published on 3 Jun 1999
it was the complate reference of general system theory
General System theory is the main point of life. This approach teaches us the
real dynamics of world.As a manager, you can lead your organization with zero deficit. Read more
real dynamics of world.As a manager, you can lead your organization with zero deficit. Read more
Published on 24 Dec 1996
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