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"Uncommon Sense is the first nontechnical presentation of biologist / philosopher Ludwig von Bertalanffy and the only approachable explanation of his discoveries in the ecological / holistic field known as General Systems Theory. Prepared with the help of his private papers and reminiscences of his wife and son, this book offers a vital tool for managers, physicians, psychologists, scientists, teachers, parents, and public officials."--Book cover.
The classic book on a major modern theory
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What does it mean to be human? What distinguishes man from other animals? “Man’s creation of the universe of symbols,†replies Ludwig von Bertalanffy. “Man lives in a world not of things, but of symbols.†Dr. von Bertalanffy explores the historical development of symbolic language, examines the nature of human values, and shows how a current breakdown of symbolic universes contributes to the feeling of meaninglessness so prevalent in modern society. He notes that a major portion of mankind’s aggressive acts are not biologically induced but arise within symbolic frameworks.
The recent discovery of an archive full of personal documents of the philosopher and biologist Ludwig von Bertalanffy, founder of the General System Theory, paved the way for a reconsideration of important elements concerning his life and thought. This updated biography of a thinker, who is equally often cited as misjudged, takes into consideration all of his publications, his correspondence, as well as the secondary sources devoted to him, and attempts to reveal his richness and complexity to a general reader. This biography thus aims at initiating and promoting a study that is both critical and appreciative of his oeuvre. It equally seeks to navigate between two all too common pitfalls found in connection with von Bertalanffy: hagiographic temptation and reductive judgements, which are often ideologically motivated.
2014 Reprint of Original 1962 American Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. This important introduction to theoretical biology is a classic work in its field. Already in the 1930's Bertalanffy formulated the organismic system theory that later became the kernel of the GST (General Systems Theory]. GST is an interdisciplinary practice that describes systems with interacting components, applicable to biology, cybernetics, and other fields. Bertalanffy proposed that the classical laws of thermodynamics applied to closed systems, but not necessarily to "open systems," such as living things. His mathematical model of an organism's growth over time is still in use today.
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